“ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL OF ENGLISH PHOTOGRAPHERS”

NASH, Paul. Fertile Image. London: Faber & Faber, (1951). Quarto, original gray cloth. $450.

First edition of the posthumous photobook paying tribute to the artistry of Paul Nash, “one of the finest British painters of the 20th century,” whose photographs “revealed much about the inspiration of his paintings” (Parr & Badger), with 65 black-and-white photogravures by Nash.

"One of the finest British painters of the early 20th century," Paul Nash (1899-1946) was unusual in often turning to the camera "in a cultural climate that as a whole despised photography. Even more unusually, he published his photographs in 1951 in a prototypical artist's book, and thereby revealed much about the inspiration for his paintings… His pictures in Fertile Image of brooding landscapes, twisted trees and deserted gardens are dark in mood, their frequent Surreal inflections reminiscent of Bill Brandt… [Further], apart from Brandt, Nash was one of the most original of English photographers, during a period when originality was in short supply" (Parr & Badger II:139). With an introduction by James Laver. First editions rarely found. Without extremely scarce dust jacket.

Images clean and fresh; some dampstaining to lower edge of original cloth. A handsome, very good copy, scarce.