Edward Henry Gordon Craig (British, 1872-1966)

La Procession Nocturne (state 1)

Woodcut Inscribed `State 1 only 8 copies’ (lower left under mount)

5.1/8 x 8.3/8 in. (13 x 21.3 cm.)

Executed in 1927

Craig was one of the most influential designers of the early twentieth century. He trained under Henry Irving and worked as an actor before designing a series of productions that demonstrate the influence of symbolism. His artistic collaborators included Otto Brahm, Eleonora Duse, Isadora Duncan and Konstantin Stanislavski. In 1905, he published The Art of the Theatre, which called for the development of a non-naturalistic æsthetic. From 1908 to 1929, he edited a quarterly journal entitled The Mask, which presented Craig’s theories.