James Bond First Editions

[From Russia With Love]. ARTIST'S JACKET PROOFS for the James Bond novel. Progressive printers proofs of the jacket design by Richard Chopping.

[FLEMING, Ian]. CHOPPING, Richard

London: Jonathan Cape. 1957, [Artwork] Eleven sheets, untrimmed and oversized, each measuring 17x11 inches approx. Tie fastened to right hand side, with printer's guideline/trim lines to l.h.s. These printer's proofs demonstrate the colour processes and layering methods employed in the production of the book jacket, and includes one of the the very first 'finished' dustjackets, albeit larger as not trimmed for a book. From Russia With Love was the very first Fleming title to be painted by Chopping. Some minor handling, never folded or used, small area of foxing to top edge at margin. FINE throughout. A remarkable survival. From the collection of Ian Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert (since 2004), with accompanying provenance. Richard Chopping was a well known figure in the art world of the 1950s and 60s and was commissioned by Fleming to produce his iconic series of designs for the James Bond novels following an exhibition at the Hanover Galleries in 1956. Artist Francis Bacon, exhibiting downstairs at the gallery, took his friend Ann Fleming, who reported back to Ian that Chopping should design the next book jacket. He was subsequently invited to their house in Victoria Square, where Fleming invited him to paint the cover of 'From Russia With Love' and the partnership was born. Chopping described the author as "charming, but horrid", indicating that their partnership wasn't exactly plain sailing, with the author laying down strict and sometimes impossible instructions as to what should be included. Nevertheless, his jackets are some of the most evocative of all post-war British fiction, and the most famous and celebrated pieces of Bond artwork in the world. Fleming himself described Chopping as "the only English master in the art of the trompe l'œil technique". A French term literally meaning 'trick the eye', trompe l'œil is a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, photographic realism. For the cover for 'From Russia With Love' Chopping pictured a sawn-off.38 Smith & Wesson revolver that belonged to Geoffrey Boothroyd, a firearms expert who inspired the character of Q in the novels. Item #69331

Biondi/Pickard.

Price: £17,500.00