Miniature Woodcuts by Fiodor Konstantinov

(Leningrad): (Aurora Art Publishers), 1975. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Konstantinov, Fiodor. Miniature book, [116] pp. Unable to find much information online, we turn to the book's introduction for information about this superb woodcut Russian artist, Fiodor (or Fyodor) Konstantinov (or Konstantinoy). Born in 1910, Konstantinov began his career in the 1930s, having studied under the Soviet engraver Vladimir Favorsky.

Konstantinov "contributed woodcuts for editions of Shakespeare and Chaucer, Charles de Coster and Mark Twain, Krylov and Tiutchev, Pushkin, Lermontov and Dostoyevsky, Yesenin and Zablotsky". Apparently at an exhibit in London at which Konstantinov's cuts of "Chaucer" were displayed, the inimitable Lynd Ward said of Konstantinov that he was "an extremely gifted and subtle artist of international range....whole talent and outlook had mingled to produce a truly creative personality."

Note that apparently this work was originally issued as one of three volumes in a slipcase, each of them on a diffferent Russian artist; however, this first edition (per the person from whom we acquired the book) contains five more woodcuts than in the second edition.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in yellow cloth over boards, mounted paper label with a cut (one of the fifty-one) inset on the front board, ivory cloth spine with black lettering, five-page introduction in English by Yulia Kuznetsova, this followed by the fifty-one woodcuts in black (printed on the rectos only) with a listing of their corresponding literary works following, colophon page in Russian; miniature book (2 5/8" by 2 1/8"), unpaginated with 58 leaves.

___CONDITION: Near fine, the boards mostly clean except for a minute stray few marks, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some wear to the back joint and the aforementioned light few marks on the boards, else fine.

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