TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, Henri de, & others - BIERBAUM, Otto Julius, & Julius Meier-Graefe (eds.).

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Pan. First editions of the complete run of influential German art periodical Pan. Founded in Berlin in 1895 by Richard Dehmel, Otto Julius Bierbaum, and Julius Meier-Graefe, Pan was one of the finest art publications to emerge from the fin de siècle, showcasing emerging and established artists from Germany and beyond. A reaction to industrial mass production and the rigidity of the official art academies, Pan encapsulated the burgeoning Art Nouveau, or Jugenstil, spirit. Emphasis was placed on reviving the German book trade and printmaking, creating beautiful publications deemed worthy of collecting, inspired by the likes of the Kelmscott Press, and allowing artists to work without the conventional academic constraints, whilst situating them within the wider international art scene. In fact, the publication was deemed too international by some, and Meier-Graefe stepped down as art director when complaints were raised that the magazine showed too French a bias. Ironically, his departure was triggered by the commissioning and inclusion of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Mademoiselle Marcelle Lender en buste. This one catalytic print is now recognised as a masterpiece of both Decadent art and lithography, with no fewer than eight stones employed to produce the final result, and considered one of the highlights of Pan's output. Other artists featured include Auguste Rodin, Georges Seurat, Aubrey Beardsley, Max Klinger, and Otto Eckmann.

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