Elijah the Slave. A Hebrew Legend Retold by Isaac Bashevis Singer
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1970. 1st Edition. Quarto, publisher's violet cloth, spine gilt, upper board blindstamped, illustrated endpapers, original illustrated dust jacket.
First edition of Nobel Prize-winning Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer and Uruguayan-American woodcut artist Antonio Frasconi's interpretation of the Hebrew legend. Singer was a leading figure in the Yiddish literary movement, known for employing realism, mysticism, and folklore to depict Eastern European Jewish life and exile. Often imbuing political commentary into folk art, Frasconi’s work spans children's literature (a venture inspired by the birth of his sons) and fine art. One of two books the pair collaborated on, the story follows Elijah, disguised as a slave, who sacrifices his freedom to help a poor man, with Frasconi’s illustrations inspired by stained-glass, fresco-inspired frames, and 16th-century woodcuts. Illustrated in color. Translated from the Yiddish by Singer and Elizabeth Shub. Light sunning to board edges; unclipped dust jacket with light edgewear. Near fine. Item #10999
$60.00