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Artist or Maker: EL LISSITZKY

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Provenance: From the artist;
by descent to Jen Lissitzky, his son;
with Barry Friedman Ltd., New York.

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Exhibited: El Lissitzky: Experiments in Photography, Houk Friedman Gallery, New York, 17 April--1 June 1991; El Lissitzky: Beyond the Abstract Cabinet, Sprengel Museum, Hannover, 17 January--4 April 1999.

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Literature: El Lissitzky: Experiments in Photography, Houk Friedman Gallery, 1991, pl.17.

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Notes: This print is believed to be unique.

In 1928, one year after their wedding in Moscow, Sophie and Lissitzky took her sons, Kurt and Hans, with them on their trip to Vienna. During the trip, Lissitzky worked on the design for a children's book, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division; the cover design appears in the background of this image. It is possible that the equations appearing in the background represent the inherent contrasts of Lissitzky's new family structure--German combined with Russian-- mirrored in the goals of socialist construction. These oppositions are further paired within the image of the two boys: the light/dark, positive/negative and assertive/comtemplative attributes are all rendered visible.

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 17.5% on the buyer's premium.