Degas in Rome, An Imaginary Diary (with prospectus and TLS)

[San Francisco]: Pacific Editions, 2013. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Hobson, Charles. Number 6 of 34 copies, quarto size, signed by Charles Hobson. This work concerns Charles Hobson's "nearly life long interest in Edgar Degas", and "focuses on his time in Rome as a twenty-three year old when he was just coming into his true power as an artist." In the form of a fictional diary which covers a week in 1857, with imaginary entries and drawings; Beatrice-like, "Rome takes the form of a beautiful woman who escorts Degas to the City's masterpieces" (from prospectus). Each of the five signatures has a design from an actual Degas sketchbook, inserted into (truncated) a slotted pocket in the back page of each is a card accessed by a ribbon pull, which contains historical and cultural notes relating to the fictional entry; the reverse of each card is a horizontal slice of a Degas self-portrait done in oil on paper in 1857; the pieces can be laid out to form a complete picture of Degas as he looked to himself at the age of 23. Original drawings in the style of Degas have been made by Charles Hobson with pencil on stained or acrylic washed paper and reproduced as high resolution digital prints that in many instances have been accented with handwork.

Limited edition of 34 copies, this no. 6, with three items loosely laid in: the four-page prospectus, a TLS to the original owner by Charles Hobson, and a bookmark-shaped printed "Thank you!" with a hand-written personalized short note to the original owner: "Hi - , I hope you like this. All best, Charles".

___DESCRIPTION: Case binding of half brown cloth over marbled boards, a large pencil tipped onto the front board, the binding contains five independent signatures sewn into an 11" x 15" accordion of BFK Rives paper, each signature containing the artwork and cards as described above; lettering in the signatures is Bradley Hand ITC and the type in the introduction and the inserted notecards is Didot. Maps used as part of the work are from the Nolli map of 1748 and would have been available to Degas as he traveled the City in 1857. Contained within a side-drop box covered in matching brown cloth with a map stamped onto the front of the box. Prospectus, TLS, and note loosely laid in as referred to above.

___CONDITION: Fine throughout, as are the prospectus, letter and note, and the box.

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