Bracelli. Bizzarie.
This rare and eccentric work brings renewed attention to the creative genius of the 17th-century Florentine artist Giovanni Battista Braccelli. His "Bizzarie" - a series of 50 engravings of bizarre human figures, composed of objects, architecture, and fantastic shapes - were rediscovered and celebrated by the Surrealist movement in the 1930s. This fascinating book combines a re-edition of these engravings with a reflection by the Dadaist poet Tristan Tzara. It is a unique example of how the avant-garde bridges the historical past and modern artistic expression. The publication is not only a bibliographical curiosity but also a monument to the rediscovery of forgotten artists whose idiosyncratic vision resonates with the radical aesthetics of later movements. It is a beautiful example of how a work of art can acquire new meanings and inspire new audiences over time. The book reveals the deep connection between the apparent absurdity of Bracelli's work and the subversive humour and drive for renewal that are so characteristic of modern art.
Quantity
Tzara, Tristan
Bracelli
Bracelli. Bizzarie.
1963 | Parijs | Alain Brieux
"Bizzarie" is an essential publication that links the unconventional aesthetics of the 17th century with the 20th-century avant-garde. This book, a collaboration between a Dadaist poet and a forgotten Baroque artist, demonstrates the lasting power of artistic imagination.
This rare and eccentric work brings renewed attention to the creative genius of the 17th-century Florentine artist Giovanni Battista Braccelli. His "Bizzarie" - a series of 50 engravings of bizarre human figures, composed of objects, architecture, and fantastic shapes - were rediscovered and celebrated by the Surrealist movement in the 1930s. This fascinating book combines a re-edition of these engravings with a reflection by the Dadaist poet Tristan Tzara. It is a unique example of how the avant-garde bridges the historical past and modern artistic expression. The publication is not only a bibliographical curiosity but also a monument to the rediscovery of forgotten artists whose idiosyncratic vision resonates with the radical aesthetics of later movements. It is a beautiful example of how a work of art can acquire new meanings and inspire new audiences over time. The book reveals the deep connection between the apparent absurdity of Bracelli's work and the subversive humour and drive for renewal that are so characteristic of modern art.
€620
Condition Report:
In-Depth Study
References & Bibliography
Format
Oblong
Edition Particulars
Edition originale sur papier ancien, numérotés de 1 à 520, avec 5 exemplaires de collaborateurs marqués A à E.
Print Run
525
Copy Number
251
Paper
papier ancien
Product DETAIL
The book consists of two parts: an album that reproduces 50 engravings by Braccelli, and a volume containing a text by Tristan Tzara and a bibliographical note by Alain Brieux. Tzara's "propos" offers a profound reflection on Bracelli's "Bizzarie," which reflect a surrealist fascination with the absurd and the unexpected. This work is a synthesis of art history, literary analysis, and the aesthetic principles of modernism. It repositions a baroque artist in an avant-garde context, thereby emphasizing the timelessness of his work. The book opens a dialogue between two artistic periods, separated by centuries but connected by a shared spirit of imagination.

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*Arrière-histoire du poème pulvérisé* is a later illustrated edition of a key text in which René Char looks back on the genesis and inner background of *Le Poème pulvérisé*. Published in 1972 by Imprimerie Union, it opens with a colour frontispiece by Nicolas de Staël. The pairing of Char and de Staël is especially charged: two post-war voices, each seeking concentration, clarity, and rupture in his own medium. This copy is one of only six hors commerce copies on Arches and is signed. The autograph presentation inscription to Doctor Marcel Zara, with poetic quotation and October 1972 dating, makes it a deeply personal copy.
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