Frans Masereel’s city
Feb 14, 2007
Pages from Die Stadt (1925), a “novel in woodcuts” by anarchist artist Frans Masereel (1889–1972). See the other ninety-six pages here. And by the same artist, Die Idee.
A pacifist in World War I, he tried to make his art accessible to the ordinary man. His works were banned by the Nazis and widely distributed in Communist countries. But he rejected “political” art and party affiliation, condemning all enslavements, oppression, war and violence, injustice, and the power of money.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The etching and engraving archive
4 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Richard
Feb 14th, 2007
Masereel was brilliant. I’ve got a few of those lovely Redstone Press editions: The City, The Sun and The Idea. Amazing work.
#2 posted by Richard
Feb 14th, 2007
Actually, I guess he would have been one of Barney’s influences.
#3 posted by John
Feb 14th, 2007
I’ll have to see about ordering a copy of this from somewhere.
Masereel may well have been an influence on that Imperial Pompadours sleeve; Picasso certainly was, judging by the facial style and BB having done a Picasso pastiche around the same time.
#4 posted by Richard Sica
Jul 22nd, 2008
Masereel is one on the great unknown artist of the 20th century. The fact that he is a book illustrator rather than a “fine artist” has held his status back. His best work done between the wars is a brilliant and insightful, a mirror of the human condition. I find it amazing that he was able to at once be so prolific and yet be profound at the same time.
I have a large collection of his signed first editions which are still reasonably priced and are superior to the later reprints. The originals are time capsules of a period when political activism meant something and was not drowned out by K Street spin.
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