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WERNER BISCHOF (1916-1954) A group of 4 scenes, from his series Japan. 1951.

WERNER BISCHOF (1916-1954)
A group of 4 scenes, from his series Japan. 1951.
Silver prints, the images measuring 8 1/8x7 7/8 inches (20.6x20 cm.) to 10¾x9 3/8 inches (27.3x23.8 cm.), each with Bischof's credit stamp and publication notations in pencil and one with a label with a typed title, on verso.

Provenance
Acquired in 1960 by the editor of the Bantam edition, New York

Bischof died tragically in a road accident in the Andes on May 16, 1954, where he was engaged in making a film. His photographs of Japan were posthumously published in a book entitled Japan, 1954 written by Robert Guillain, a French journalist, and later in a paperbound edition by Magnum and in a paperback edition by Bantam. It was the first-ever book of photography to be awarded the prestigious Prix Nadar in 1955.

Reproduced
Bischof Werner and Robert Guillain, Japan (New York: Bantam, 1961)

  • Condition: This group of 4 vintage press prints by Werner Bischof taken during his trip to Japan in 1951 and selected for his Japan publication is overall in very good condition. The prints retain detail, contrast, and strong tonality throughout.

    The surfaces of the prints evidence the scattered imperfections associated with press prints, including handling creases, retouching, and tiny tears. Most of the imperfections are primarily visible in strong, raking light and are not distracting. The tears, when present, are primarily confined to the extreme edges and do not detract from the images themselves.

    Each with Bischof's credit stamp and publication notations in pencil and one with a label with a typed title, on verso. 1951

    The inconsistencies are detailed below.

    Print 1 (A winter landscape): the image measures 8 1/8x7 7/8 inches.
    The surface is slightly ferrotyped. The most visible inconsistency is a short crease on the upper right edge with a bit of emulsion loss as well as an area of retouching on the left side of the furthest mountain. A few more inconsistencies are visible only in strong raking light and include a few handling creases in the lower right quadrant. With the artist's credit stamp and the notation in pencil in an unknown hand "book p. 76"

    Print 2 (Teapot). The image measures 10¼x9¾ inches. Print overall in excellent condition except for a few tiny specs of retouching on its matte surface. With the artist's credit stamp, a numeric notation, and the notation in pencil in an unknown hand "page 79"

    Print 3 (Stone): The image measures 10¾x9 3/8 inches. Very good condition. No inconsistencies on the matte surface except for a cluster of minuscule and faint foxing spots on the extreme corner of the upper left edge. With the artist's credit stamp, the notation "caption #29" in pencil in an unknown hand and a typed caption affixed to the verso.

    Print 4 (Painter's garden, Kyoto): the image measures 10x10 5/8 inches. The surface is ferrotyped and evidences scattered creases and handling marks all around the image area. No significant inconsistencies in the main composition area. With the artist's credit stamp, the title, numerous printing notations, and the notation "Bantam Book" in pencil in an unknown hand on verso.

    A wonderful testimony of Japan as seen by the Magnum photographer.

    Provenance: Acquired in 1960 by the editor of the Bantam edition, New York

    Bischof died tragically in a road accident in the Andes on May 16, 1954, where he was engaged in making a film. His photographs of Japan were posthumously published in a book entitled Japan, 1954 written by Robert Guillain, a French journalist, and later in a paperbound edition by Magnum and in a paperback edition by Bantam. It was the first-ever book of photography to be awarded the prestigious Prix Nadar in 1955.

    Literature: Bischof Werner and Guillain, Robert, Japan (New York: Bantam, 1961)

    Each accompanied by a sheet with caption, most certainly used for the Bantam edition.

    The titles and captions read as follows:

    A winter landscape. All the available land is cultivated, right up to the mountain slopes. The mist, shot through with sunlight, composes a landscape recalling a tinted drawing by one of the old masters.

    A measure of tradition. A teapot, stove, and cups in a Tokyo store window; tea is both the most familiar daily drink but also the key element in the tea-ceremony, a ritual of great subtlety and dignity.

    Stone. A fragment of an old poem engraved on a stone column in a Kyoto garden. Such snatches of beauty can be discovered at every step in the old town. The foreign visitor cannot always understand their meaning, but he is moved by their close harmony with the surrounding scenery.

    Painter's Garden. The house of the painter Hashimoto Kwansetsu in Tokyo. The tea-pavilion in the garden is a sign of Chines influence; Kwansetsu had visited China.




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May 8, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
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