History of Press Graphics. 18191921 [Hardcover]

In todays world of instant snapshots, 24-hour news, and round-the-clock connectivity, an illustrated press where the images are as important as the text has become an increasingly rare art form. This far-reaching compendium celebratesthe golden age of graphic journalism as adistinct andunique genreanda laboratory for developing avant-garde aesthetics.

Spanning from1819 to 1921, the collection covers a broad range of news graphics and political and satirical cartoons. Alongside the works of renowned artists such asJean Cocteau, Juan Gris, andK?the Kollwitz, the most famous illustrators of the time are also well represented.Thomas Nast, Honor? Daumier, Gustave Dor?, and the numerous relativelyunknown press graphic artists, the so-called special artists, whose work isrediscovered here.

Their rich and varied press work is considered not only in connection to the genre and the historical painting of the 19th century but also in its capacity as apioneering influence on modern art. With striking examples ofproto-cinematic narrative thinking, disruptions of the single image space, and daring forays into abstraction, this material is shown to have laid the groundwork for much of the avant-garde artistic expression that followed.

The book also exploresVincent Van Gogh's careful attention to the illustrated press of his time. He was inspired not only by the artistic aspect of it but also by the spirit of social reform that it represented. An avid collector, heowned a large number of press graphicsand went so far as to consider ita Bible for Artists .