Venetian Stanzas by Brodsky, Joseph; Sayenko, Dmitry (Artist); Stone, Jonathan (Translator) - 2017

Saint Petersburg: Nikodim Press, 2017. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Sayenko, Dmitry. Number 15 of 26 copies, oblong elephant folio size, [46] unnumbered pp., signed by Dmitry Sayenko, text in both English and Russian. A stunning new translation of poetry by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996). Brodsky visited Venice in 1972 for the first time and was inspired by its stunning singularity, its deep well of history, and its culture, writing "All of Venice is a work of art, a place where you distinctly understand that something made by human hands can be far more beautiful than humans themselves."

That exact sentiment is found here in conversation between artist, poet and translator throughout time and space, and creates a tactile and multidimensional new vehicle for reading and experiencing the work. The new translations by Russian literature scholar Jonathan Stone are presented on facing pages with the original Russian Cyrillic script, connected across the length and margins of the pages with sweepingly vivid illustrations by Russian artist Dmitry Sayenko (b. 1965 in Kiev).

Sayenko was the son of book illustrator, who grew up under that influence to take up the craft himself. In 1993 he graduated from the Mukhina Art School, St. Petersburg, where he still lives and works today. For most of his work, he designs and crafts every aspect of the finished book, makes the linocuts, setting the type printing and binding the sheets, and often hand making the paper. His works are in private collections as well as institutions around the world, including the Russian National Library, the Staatsbibliotheck, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Van Abbemuseum, and the Eoun-ho Kim Collection, among others. The illustrations are powerful and evocative, often incorporating other media such as pieces of old sheet music.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter tan leather, paper boards with linocuts in black on both front and back, title stamped in black to upper board, all edges uncut, light brown endpapers, pictorial title page, linocuts throughout in several colours, the poems presented with the English on the left and Russian on the right; 100% cotton paper (approx. 280-300 gr.) handmade by the artist, oblong elephant folio (7" by 18.5"), [46] unnumbered pages, limited edition, this number 15 of 26 copies, signed by Dmitry Sayenko. Housed in a carboard slipcase covered in brown paper.

___CONDITION: Fine, as new; we acquired the book directly from the book artist, it is as it came from his studio; slipcase also fine.

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