Love Sonnets selected by Louis Untermeyer, 1964, illustrated by Ben Shahn

"Love Sonnets" selected with endnotes by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Ben Shahn, published by The Odyssey Press, New York, 1964. A selection of love sonnets written by seventeen poets between 1265 and 1964, each poem presented on an individual page facing a colored illustration by Ben Shahn, who was responsible for the calligraphy. An introductory explanation of form and rhyme scheme of the classical sonnet. Four page biography of the 17 poets is included.

Illustrated hardcover. 4.1/4" x 6 .1/2"; floral decorated endpapers, 45 pages, color illustrations, very good condition.

The Seventeen poets are: Dante Alighieri, (1265-1321). Francisco Petrarca (1304-1374). Pierre De Ronsard (1524-1585). Edmund Spencer (1552? -1599). Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586). Robert Greene (1558? -1592). Bartholomew Griffin (1560?-1602). Samuel Daniel (1562-1619). Michael Drayton (1563-1631) . William Shakespeare (1564-1616). William Wordsworth (1770-1850). John Keats (1795-1821). Heinrich Heine (1797-1856). Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1886-1861). Dante Gabrielle Rossetti (1820-1882). Christina Rossetti (1813-1894). Alice Meynell (1847-1922)

Ben Shahn (1898-1969) was an American artist.

Shahn was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire. In 1906, the family immigrated to the United States. Shahn was first trained as a lithographer. Shahn's early experiences with lithography and graphic design is apparent in his later prints and paintings which often include the combination of text and image. Shahn's primary medium was egg tempera.Although Shahn attended New York University as a biology student in 1919, he went on to pursue art at City College in 1921 and then at the National Academy of Design. After his marriage to Tillie Goldstein in 1924, the two traveled through North Africa and then to Europe, where he made "the traditional artist pilgrimage." There he studied great European artists such as Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy, Georges Rouault, Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee. Contemporaries who would make a profound impact on Shahn's work and career include artists Walker Evans, Diego Rivera and Jean Charlot.

Shahn mixed different genres of art. His body of art is distinctive for its lack of traditional landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Shahn used both expressive and precise visual languages, which he united through the consistency of his authoritative line. His background in lithography contributed to his devotion to detail. [wiki]

Note:
Country restrictions may apply - the lesser expansive Priority or 1st Class shipping may not be available to all countries.

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) -------- $10.50
Canada: 1st Class (c 2-6 weeks) -- $26.50
World: 1st Class (c 2-7 weeks) --- $34.50