Paul Nash

Original wood engraving, printed on Japanese Hosho paper, stamped with the blindstamp of the Paul Nash Trust, and mounted as issued. As published by Garton & Cooke for Twenty four wood-engravings in 1985 in a limited edition of 60 impressions only.

This original wood engraving was first published by Paul Nash in an edition of only 17 signed proofs in 1923. Upon the sale of the remaining contents of the Curwen Press composing room in 1984, seventeen of Paul Nash’s original engraved wood blocks came to light, including the block of Boredom. A further eight previously uncatalogued blocks were then discovered through the Nash Trustees. Twenty-four of these blocks were used by Garton & Cooke to produce a limited edition of sixty impressions from each block for publication as a set in May 1985. The blocks were printed by Ian Mortimer and the resulting impressions are of consistently high quality. The block for this particular print is now in the permanent collection of the Wolfsonian, Florida.

This wood engraving was designed as an illustration for Abd-er-Rhaman in Paradise by Jules Tellier, Golden Cockerell Press edition, published in 1928. It shows Abd-er-Rhaman in Paradise “Next day, and with every succeeding day, Abd-er-Rhaman felt still more disenchanted. Again he sought the company of his fellows, and the effect of their boredom was to increase his own. Many of them indeed no longer left their dwellings within a hollow pearl.”

Excellent original condition.