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Budapest: Magyar Nemzeti Galeria (Hungarian National Gallery), 1980. Paper covers, 36 pp ; black and white illustration (20 x 18 cm); black-and-white illustrations. Text in Hungarian, with French translations of biographical notes and legends.
In very good condition. Printed white card wraps featuring a striking pen-and-ink cover design of interwoven hands by the artist. Light bumping to edges of covers and light overall scuffing, aging and soiling to covers as well. Binding tight. Pages unmarked. Issued for a retrospective exhibition held at the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, May - June 1980, this catalog presents an overview of Koffan Karoly's multifaceted career as a graphic artist, printmaker, sculptor, and documentarian. Essay by Pogany O. Gabor, a biographical chronology, and a detailed list of works exhibited - ranging from early line drawings and woodcuts to late - period wooden sculptures (1974 - 1979). Includes a reproduction from the Profundis series (1934 - 1939), portraits, and numerous existential figure studies rendered in monotype and ink, along with expressive sculptural heads carved from wood. Koffan Karoly (1909 - ??) was a Hungarian artist known for his intense graphic work-etchings, drawings, and monotypes - as well as wood-based sculptures. Born in Geresd (now Geresdlak), he studied in Budapest (1928 - 33), exhibited in Paris from 1934 alongside the Ernst Museum, and published the poignant De Profundis series. After WWII, he taught at the Hungarian College of Fine Arts until 1957, later producing monotypes and publishing photo-illustrated bird books. His oeuvre is marked by expressive line, existential subject matter, and versatility across media.