Berlin

1990 · 569713 — Dorset England 1990. Hardcover. Very Good. A remarkable set of two large albums of poetry and some prose hand written and illustrated with watercolor paintings pen & ink and pencil drawings by Sven Berlin in 1990-91. Both albums are oblong quartos measuring 15†x 13½†screw-bound with dark blue hand lettered leatherette covers. The albums contains approximately 165 manuscript sheets handwritten on the rectos only together with about 135 drawings laid onto the rectos and versos of 115 cardboard leaves coated with light adhesive enclosed in plastic sleeves. Several manuscript pages have corrections by Berlin and most of the drawings are Signed and dated by him. Among the drawings are about 59 watercolor paintings 57 pen and ink drawings and 19 pencil drawings. The covers are rubbed and lightly stained both binding screws of the first album are loose both covers of the second album are detached else near fine with the manuscript pages and drawings near fine throughout both albums.<br /> <br /> Born in 1911 at Sydenham South London Sven Berlin was a dancer painter sculptor poet and writer. In 1938 he moved to Cornwall to pursue his artistic career. Exhibiting paintings drawings and sculpture regularly with the St. Ives Art Colony. In London Berlin was a founding member of the Crypt Group of modern-minded young artists and of the important Penwith Society of Arts in 1949. He broke with the latter group following a much-publicized rift between the abstract Modernists led by Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth and the more representational artists including Berlin. This artistic clash of egos was the inspiration for Berlin’s 1962 fictionalized autobiography The Dark Monarch which was withdrawn just days after publication following legal action. An outsider from the mainstream of British art Berlin would become one of the last great British bohemians.<br /> <br /> An important set of manuscripts written in Berlin’s strong hand and illustrated with his bold drawings rich in imagery and metaphor. A detailed description of both albums is available. hardcover