Chris Beetles Gallery

(click image to enlarge)

The Saga of Gisli

Eric Fraser (1902-1983)

Price

£2,750

Signed

Signed

Medium

Pen ink and watercolour with bodycolour

Dimensions

10 ½ x 15 inches

Illustrated

George Johnston, The Saga of Gisli, London: Dent, 1963, Dust Jacket

Exhibited

'A Book by its Cover', Nunnington Hall, February-March 2017, No 35;
'Eric Fraser 1902-1983', Chris Beetles Gallery, April-May 2013, No 173;
'A Century of British Art: 1945-2010', Chris Beetles Gallery, 5 October-6 November 2021, No 284

Eric Fraser designed the dust jacket for a translation of the 13th century Icelandic prose saga, The Saga of Gísli Súrsson, in a translation by the Canadian poet and translator, George Johnston (1913-2004). The saga concerns Gísli, who must kill one brother-in-law in order to avenge another. As a result of his actions, he goes on the run for 13 years until finally hunted down and killed. The published version of Fraser’s design is suitably stark and chill.

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