Albert Ehrenstein / Oskar Kokoschka (illustrations) - Tubutsch - 1911-1911

Tubutsch – Albert Ehrenstein / Oskar Kokoschka (illustrations)

Wien [Vienna] & Leipzig: Verlag Jahoda und Siegel, undated [1911]. 64, [4] pages. 20.3cm x 14.5cm. Hardcover with cream-coloured quarter cloth binding with paper covered boards with an illustrated cover board. First edition of this seminal masterpiece of early European Expressionism, representing one of the most famous author-artist collaborations of the 20th century avant-garde. Published in 1911 by Jahoda & Siegel in Vienna and Leipzig, Tubutsch is Albert Ehrenstein’s definitive psychological novella charting the existential alienation and mental fragmentation of its titular character wandering through Vienna. This true first printing is highly celebrated for its inclusion of 12 full-page, starkly frantic illustrations by the legendary Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka, which perfectly synthesize with Ehrenstein’s raw, proto-Kafkaesque prose. A cornerstone volume for collectors of Expressionist literature and modern art history, marking the true first appearance of both the text and its historic visual pairings before later reissues.

Slight rubbing, bumping, and wear to the boards and spine. Some damage to the paper covering of the bottom right of the front boards, not affecting the illustration (see photos). Blue book seller sticker on the front pastedown endpaper. Pencil markings on the back pastedown endpaper. Hardly any browning and spotting throughout, the interior is clean and bright. The text and illustrations are clear, the paper is crisp, and the binding is solid. Overall, an attractive copy in very good- condition.