Ekphrasis Book Collection

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Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks used the term ekphrasis to define a piece of literature or poetry that vividly describes a work of visual art. Like most words, the meaning of ekphrasis has evolved slightly over time and it is now used to classify any piece of media (be it writing, visual art, music or film) that is made about another art form. Compiled by the David Zwirner Gallery, our Ekphrasis Book Collection is a series of rare, out-of-print or newly commissioned texts that center around art, penned by a host of iconic creatives. There’s much to discover in this collection of brightly-colored, pocket-sized paperbacks — author Virginia Woolf’s musings on painting; poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s letters of encouragement to a young Balthus; newly-translated painting tutorials from revolutionary printmaker Katsushika Hokusai; essays from poet, dramatist and critic Larry Neal on the Black Arts Movement; and Émile Bernard’s collection of correspondences with Vincent Van Gogh, just to name a few. Grab whichever intrigues you — or bring home the entire collection for a vibrant and inspiring addition to your bookshelf.

 

Any Day Now: Toward a Black Aesthetic
•text by Larry Neal
•editor's note by Elizabeth Gordon
•introduction by Allie Biswas
•paperback
•178 pages

•4.25"W x .75"D x 7"H

 

Degas and His Model
•text by Alice Michel
•translation and additional text by Jeff Nagy 
•paperback 
•88 pages
•4.25"W x .25"D x 7"H

 

Letters to a Young Painter
•text by Rainer Maria Rilke
•translated to english by Damion Searls
•introduction by Rachel Corbett
•essay by Marc de Launay
•paperback
•68 pages
•4.25"W x .25"D x 7"H

 

Mad About Painting
•text and artwork by Katsushika Hokusai
•selected and translated to english by Ryoko Matsuba
•introduction by Ryoko Matsuba
•conversation with Manabu Ikeda and Ryoko Matsuba
•paperback
•164 pages
•4.25"W x .5"D x 7"H

 

My Friend Van Gogh
•text by Emile Bernard
•translated to english by Elizabeth G. Heard
•introduction by Martin Bailey
•paperback
•144 pages
•4.25"W x .5"D x 7"H

 

Oh, to Be a Painter!
•text by Virginia Woolf
•introduced and selected by Claudia Tobin
•paperback
•96 pages
•4.25"W x .5"D x 7"H

 

Ramblings of a Wannabe Painter
•text by Paul Gaugin
•edited and translated by Donatien Grau
•paperback
•54 pages
•4.25"W x .25"D x 7"H

 

The Critic as an Artist
•text by Oscar Wilde
•introduction by Michael Bracewell
•paperback
•142 pages
•4.25"W x .5"D x 7"H

 

The Psychology of an Art Writer
•text by Vernon Lee 
•translated by Jeff Nagy 
•paperback 
•136 pages 
•4.25"W x .5"D x 7"H

 

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