Karl Blossfeldt (vintage silver gelatin photograph/workprint) Plate 30, 1930
Karl Blossfeldt silver gelatin workprint/ Plate 30 Tellima grandiflora and Eryngium 1930
Product Description
A vintage silver gelatin workprint from the rare 1930 American portfolio edition titled First Forms of Art: Examples from the Living Plant World, published by H. C. Perleberg. Highly celebrated by the Surrealists and early modernists, Karl Blossfeldt 1865–1932 used a custom-built camera capable of magnifying organic specimens up to thirty times. This technique exposed hidden microscopic patterns and structures that transformed everyday flora into severe avant-garde architectural sculptures.
This large-format double-sided portfolio plate preserves the precise layout for Plate 30 of the collection. The composition beautifully juxtaposes the organic star-shaped symmetry of Tellima grandiflora (Fringe Cups) on the left with the geometric lines of an Eryngium (Thistle) specimen on the right. Issued in limited numbers for American design institutions and academies, these original 1930 Perleberg printings are significantly scarcer than standard European bookplate photogravures. This item represents an authentic piece of photographic history, sourced from Book Beat’s gallery collection.
Key Specifications and Identifiers
- Artist: Karl Blossfeldt German 1865–1932
- Title: Plate 30 from First Forms of Art: Examples from the Living Plant World (H. C. Perleberg, Philadelphia, 1930)
- Price: \$400
- Subjects Left: Tellima grandiflora Fringe Cups
- Subject Right: Eryngium Sea Holly Thistle
- Medium: Vintage Silver Gelatin Printing Plate / Double-Sided Portfolio Sheet
- Paper Size: Large format measuring 10.5 by 13.5 inches approx 26.7 cm by 34.3 cm
- Markings: Identification layout numbers integrated into the upper corners of the negative frames (I on the left image frame, 30 on the right image frame)
- Condition: Good vintage condition with clear tonal definitions. There is minor edge silver oxidation and light fading visible along the white margins, which is common to the age of this photographic paper stock.
About the Artist
Karl Blossfeldt 1865–1932 was a German sculptor, draftsman, and professor who spent his career teaching at the Royal School of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin. He created thousands of close-up botanical photographs over three decades to serve as literal objective models for his design students. His work became a cornerstone of the New Objectivity movement, celebrated for revealing the structural engineering inherent in natural forms.
$ 400.00
