Brotherly colaboration by Karel and Čapek, play and cover design

Beschreibung

BRATŘÍ ČAPKOVÉ [Brothers Čapek, d.i. Čapek, Karel u. Čapek, Josef]: Adam Stvořitel. Komedie o sedmi obrazech [Comedy about Seven Paintings]. Typografic cover and design by Josef Čapek. 5th edition. (= Edice Aventinum, 160). Prague: Aventinum (Obzina) 1929. 8vo. 92, [4] p. Original publisher’s wrapper with blue title typography and front cover and spine, all on grey stock.

5th and last edition of this play by Karel Čapek (1890-1938), one of the most prestigious Czech writers of the 20th century, written together with his brother, avant-garde artist and poet Josef Čapek (1887-1945). The 1st edition was published in 1927 when also the first staging of the play took place. Josef Čapek’s striking typographic cover is the 3rd and in the same time most progressive design for the soft cover editions of this title, here printed on two papers of different colour. Radically criticising the occupation of Czech Republic by the Nazis in 1939 he was jailed in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where he died in April 1945.

Paper slightly time stained, otherwise very clean copy of the hard to find first edition with this outstanding cover variation and Čapek’s fine publisher’s device, printed as red linocut on the title-page.

Karel Čapek, Bibl., 1990, 3328; Pomajzlová, The Book Design of Josef Čapek, 280 (colour illustr. of cover); not in Vloemans 2012