Very scarce with such attributes

Read, Herbert ~ Art and Society : With The Scarce Paul Nash Wrapper

William Heinemann Ltd., London : 1937

The First UK Printing published by William Heinemann Ltd., London in 1937. Large 4to., bright red bevelled publisher's boards, with embossed circular device in gilt to the upper cover; publisher's device to lower; lettered in gilt to backstrip; bright yellow endpapers; together in the very scarce black and red printed wrapper ('10s. net' to front flap) designed by Paul Nash; containing 100 plates in black and white throughout; The BOOK is in near Fine condition with light bumping at the spine tips; a little light spotting to the fore-edge; neat previous ownership name and date to the ffep; small bookseller sticker to lower front paste-down. The WRAPPER is in Very Good- condition, rubbed and creased along folds and edges; some chips, nicks and closed tears, largest 3cm in depth around spine and front panel, leading to a little loss of title lettering. The John Nash wrapper still remains striking in the removable Brodart archival cover. The Art Historian and writer Herbert Read was a champion of modern British artists such as Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Having previously published several volumes on art and art theory, the present title applies art to society as a whole, exploring its relation to humanity from prehistory to modern movements such as Surrealism (he had previously edited a work on Surrealism in 1936, after the London International Surrealist Exhibition, which included contributions from André Breton, Paul Éluard, and Georges Hugnet.) Read later went on to become a trustee of the Tate Gallery and a curator at the V&A, amongst many other achievements and accolades. "Art is a mode of expression", he writes in his introduction, "art is trying to tell us something: something about the universe, something about nature, about man, or about the artist himself... the world of art is a system of knowledge as valuable to man - indeed, more valuable - than the world of Philosophy or the world of science." A very scarce book to find in as the first issue in any collectible condition.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good-