DEFINITIVE CRITICAL ASSOCIATION: ROSENBERG TO RAEBURN

Rosenberg, Harold (1906–1978), art critic

Artworks and Packages [Inscribed to Horizon Press publisher Ben Raeburn]

New York: Horizon Press, 1969. First Edition, First Printing.
This volume represents a premier association in postwar American letters, linking the foremost critic of Abstract Expressionism directly to his publisher. 

Inscribed by Harold Rosenberg to Ben Raeburn—founder of Horizon Press and a pivotal architect of mid-century intellectual culture—this copy serves as a tangible record of their professional and personal synergy. In Artworks and Packages, Rosenberg expands his 'Action Painting' theory into the 1960s, critiquing the transition from existential art-making to conceptual and object-based practices.

PHYSICAL FEATURES
+++ Visuals: Extensively illustrated with 171 images, including 8 full-color plates, documenting the works of Franz Kline, Paul Klee, and Jackson Pollock. 
+++ Binding: Navy blue cloth with gilt spine titles; original dust jacket included.
+++ Inscription: Handwritten by Rosenberg on the half-title page: 'For Ben — whose love showed itself — Harold'. 
+++ Imprint: Horizon Press, New York, 1969. First Edition, First Printing.
+++ Specs: Quarto; 232 pages including index. 
+++ Provenance: From the estate of Ben Raeburn (Horizon Press), passing to Patricia Percey.

CONDITION: Fine / Near Fine.
+++ The Book: Bindings are tight, square, and structurally sound. Text block is clean with light, even age-toning. Minor shelf wear and subtle sun-fading to the lower cloth edge.
+++ The Jacket: Original dust jacket is price-clipped; shows light wear to spine tips and characteristic darkening to the spine.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —
Harold Rosenberg’s influence on the intellectual framework of American art cannot be overstated. By positioning the canvas as 'an arena in which to act,' he provided the vocabulary for Abstract Expressionism. Ben Raeburn, as his publisher at Horizon Press, was the essential partner in disseminating these ideas alongside the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Sir Herbert Read.

This association copy is more than a signed book; it is a document of the 'working network' that shaped postwar cultural discourse. The intimate nature of the inscription—'whose love showed itself'—reflects the deep emotional and intellectual bond between the critic and the publisher who championed his voice.

SUBJECTS: Abstract Expressionism, Art Criticism, Horizon Press, Ben Raeburn, 1960s Art Movements, Action Painting, Art Criticism, Modern Art Theory, Association Copy.

PROVENANCE: From the estate of Horizon Books publisher Ben Raeburn (1914–1997) that passed to his longtime partner Patricia (‘Pat’) Percey following the death of his wife Pearl Raeburn. Raeburn, founder of Horizon Press in New York, was a central figure in mid-century American publishing, issuing important works by Ezra Pound, Marianne Moore, Allen Ginsberg, Denise Levertov, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Many volumes from his library bear inscriptions or association value reflecting his close editorial relationships and lifelong influence within New York’s independent literary world.

Item #21975

Price: $175.00