Kruchenykh, Aleksei and Mikhail Matyushin.

4to (245 x 174mm.), [limited to 1000 copies], printed on thick brown paper, 3 pages of reproductions of Matyushin’s score, original pictorial wrappers, upper cover with an illustration by Kasimir Malevich and lower cover with one by David Burliuk, wrappers slightly soiled, frayed at backstrip

Hellyer 237; Ex-Libris 140; The Russian Avant-Garde Book 21

an important milestone in the russian futurist movement.

Matyushin’s opera was always intended to shock and was performed in conjunction with the Union of Youth at the Luna Park in St Petersburg in December 1913, becoming one of the landmarks in Russian Futurist history. Pobeda nad solntsem is one of the finest examples of the Futurist joint art form with its libretto by Kruchenykh, using the language of “zaum” and the apocalyptic imagery of Symbolism and Futurism, as the Earth defeats the Sun after a fierce battle; the score by Matyushin and sets and costumes by Malevich. Malevich’s cover design is a representation of one of his stage designs, in the transitional style between Futurism and Suprematism. These designs are the earliest known examples of his Suprematist style. The prologue of the opera was written by Khlebnikov.