VLADIMIR ZUPANSKY (1869-1928) COLLECTIV AUSSTELLUNG BILDHAUERS A. RODIN. 1902. 63 1/4x33 inches, 160 3/4x83 3/4 cm. Unie, Prague. Condition B+: tears, repaired tears and creases in margins; sharp horizontal folds; ink notations on verso showing through; tape on verso. Paper. Advertising a retrospective of Rodin's work in Prague in 1902, sponsored by the Manes Artists Union. The choice of this statue of Balzac was a confrontational decision for this poster, as it had been at the center of major controversy. The design had been turned down by the Societe des Gens de Lettres who had commissioned the statue from Rodin in the first place. The powerful statue of the famous writer does not show him in a traditional pose with a quill in his hand, but rather depicts him in his bathrobe (which he customarily wore when writing), with his head thrown back and his hair tousled. Constantin Brancusi declared that "Balzac . . . remains the incontestable point of departure for modern sculpture." Since 1939, the statue has stood at the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Montparnasse. Printed in German, French and Czech, this is the German version. Mascha 153, Ulice p. 34 (var), Cesky Plakat 143 (var), The Poster 59, Life With Posters p. 108 (var).
