Dada, Surrealism, War and its Aftermath 1935-1955

The Artists’ books in this gallery reflect the creativity and optimism of publishers, such as Ambroise Vollard, Albert Skira, and Tériade who, both before and after World War II, created ambitious and complex volumes with some of the greatest artists of the era. In contrast, however, the content of a number of books reflects the period of the 1930s and 1940s as a time of economic depression and a world war, followed by an uneasy peace. The variety of materials used in the construction of the books, from the simplest pamphlet clandestinely made in Paris under the occupying noses of the Nazis to luxurious volumes where no expense was spared, display their individuality and idiosyncratic nature during this period.