Natalia Gontcharova

(1884 - 1962)

2205

Mikhail Tsetlin (Amar)

Прозрачные тени. Obrazy

Transparent shadows. Sacred images

Paris: Zerna, 1920

210 x 160 mm. 70 pages

Edition: 1,150.

Three variants of the same book. The last one without illustrations by Goncharova but signed by the author. The drawings that Gontcharova made for Transparent Shadows show a strong contrast to The town (see nr. 75). Printed in red and black, they appear more gay and cheerful, reflecting a lighter mood. The book combines two works by Tsetlin, who had previously published three books under his pseudonym Amari(e). The first is Transparent shadows, the second Images. Some of the poems had previously been published in some periodicals. The section with the poems from Images opens with a full-page title drawing. The first two poems of that cycle are Cézanne and Van Gogh, dedicated to Larionov and Gontcharova respectively. The remaining decorations are mainly headings and end pieces. There is only one other full-page illustration to be found in the first section of the book. The former Moscow-based publisher Zerna published the book in Paris in May 1920. For its cover Gontcharova made an abstract design in three colours: grey, brown, and light-blue (left). Part of the edition was marketed through the Paris-based Russian publisher Povolozky. These copies were published with pages uncut and with a plain front cover. Some of the headings and end pieces were used in Jar Ptitza no. 11 of 1923.

References:

Leningrad 1977, no. 30

Chamot 1972, pp. 88-90

Hellyer 2006, nr. 517