[AFRICAN ART]. Negerplastik.1920

Landmark study of African sculpture Illustrated from photographs.   

Negerplastik by  Carl Einstein,
Published by Kurt Wolff Verlag, Munchen, 1920. Original printed covers, cloth spine.  VG. 

“Negerplastik" is a book written in German by Carl Einstein and published by Kurt Wolff Verlag in Munich in 1920. The title, which translates to "Negro Sculpture" in English, focuses on the art and sculpture of Africa and the African diaspora. The book is an important early work on the subject and is considered a classic of art history. It is likely that the book was written as a response to the growing interest in African art and “primitive”  culture that was indelibly revolutionizing European art in the early 20th century. 

Carl Einstein was a German art critic and writer who was active in the early 20th century. He was born in 1885 and died in 1940. Einstein is known for his contributions to the field of modern art criticism and for his work on the theory of African art. He wrote several books on art, including "Negerplastik" (1915), which was one of the first major studies of African sculpture. Einstein's writing focused on the formal qualities of art and the ways in which it reflected the cultural context in which it was produced. He was a leading figure in the development of the concept of "primitivism," which refers to the perceived simplicity and authenticity of art produced by non-Western cultures. Einstein's work had a significant influence on the development of modernist art and art criticism in the 20th century.