Shakespeare, W. Sonnets, 1965. Illustrated by Vladimir Favorsky. In English.

Shakespeare, W. Sonnets. / Introductory essay and notes by Alexander Anikst. Wood engravings by Vladimir Favorsky.
Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1965.
309 pp.: ill. Publisher’s hardcover with original illustrated dust jacket, 17 cm. In good condition.

This 1965 edition of William Shakespeare’s Sonnets is widely regarded as a masterpiece of 20th-century Soviet book art. Published by Progress Publishers in the original English, the volume serves as a final, brilliant testament to the genius of Vladimir Favorsky (1886–1964), the undisputed master of the Russian woodcut. Favorsky completed the intricate series of engravings for this book shortly before his death, imbuing the work with a lifetime of technical mastery and philosophical depth.
Favorsky’s approach to the Sonnets is architectural; he creates a "book organism" where the typography and the woodcuts exist in perfect symbiosis. The edition is lavishly adorned with headpieces, tailpieces, and full-page engravings that do not merely illustrate the text but engage in a visual dialogue with Shakespeare’s themes of time, love, and mortality. His stark use of black and white mirrors the dramatic tension of the poems, while his masterful use of line brings a Renaissance-like clarity to the modern Soviet book.
The scholarly apparatus is equally distinguished, featuring an introductory essay and comprehensive notes by Alexander Anikst, the foremost Soviet authority on Shakespeare. Anikst provides a deep literary context, making this edition a vital resource for English-speaking readers and scholars within the USSR and abroad.
Physically, the book is preserved in its original illustrated dust jacket, featuring Favorsky's iconic graphic style. The "very good" condition of this copy is particularly noteworthy, as the delicate 17 cm format was often subjected to wear. For collectors of Shakespeareana, connoisseurs of graphic arts, and admirers of the "Favorsky School," this 1965 volume remains one of the most aesthetically significant English-language books ever printed in Moscow.