Wols, Paintings and Gouaches 1932-1942

Rare numbered catalogue of the exhibition dedicated to Wols (Alfred Otto Wolfgang Schulze, 1913-1951), central figure of European Informalism, held at Galerie Europe in Paris in autumn 1961. Copy no. 367 of an edition of 1,200. The work opens with a letter-preface by Jean Cocteau dated January 7, 1953, precious testimony to the poet's admiration for the 'leader of the informalists'. The critical text is signed by Werner Haftmann, foremost historian of postwar abstract art. The plaquette documents the crucial period 1932-1942, when Wols developed his language between photography, drawing, and painting, before his posthumous consecration. Present is a contemporary Italian newspaper clipping attesting to the artist's critical reception beyond the Alps. Essential bibliographic document for the study of Informalism and the relationships between literature and visual arts in postwar Paris.