171 - MASSON (André). — Masson / Massacres.

MASSON (André). — Masson / Massacres. Milan and Paris, Skira / Seuil, 2001. A square quarto volume, in the publisher’s hardcover with a color-illustrated dust jacket. A comprehensive catalog devoted to depictions of violence and massacres in the work of André Masson (1896–1987), published to accompany the exhibition held at the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne from November 21, 2001, to February 28, 2002. The book examines the central role played by war, violence, and destruction in the artist’s imagination, which was deeply shaped by his experience as a soldier during World War I. Through his paintings, drawings, and graphic works, André Masson develops a tormented portrayal of the human condition, in which mythology, eroticism, and brutality intertwine. Abundant black-and-white and color illustrations, including reproductions of works from the *Massacres* series, several of which date from the 1930s. A good copy, with a few slight marks and scuffs on the dust jacket.