documenta catalog (1955)

Cover of the catalog of the first documenta. A large white "d" on a red background with the title "documenta" and the subtitle "Art of the XXth century".
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Double-page spread from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, a black-and-white photo of six men in long coats and hats in front of a building (Futurists in Paris, 1913). On the right, a portrait of the artist Giorgio Morandi with glasses on his forehead and several bottle-shaped objects in front of him.
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Double-page spread from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, an abstract metal sculpture by Hans Uhlmann from 1955. On the right, a detail of a monumental wooden sculpture with interlocking wheels and shapes by Misko Busuncic from 1950.
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Double page from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, a blank yellow page. On the right, a black and white photograph of the sculpture "Venus" by Aristide Maillol from 1933.
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Double page from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left a black and white painting "Red Studio" by Henri Matisse from 1911. On the right a color painting "Still Life" by Henri Matisse from 1910 with a table, flowers and framed pictures.
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Back cover of the catalog of the first documenta 1955. The design shows a large white "K" on a blue background. The lettering "International Exhibition Kassel 1955 in the Museum Fridericianum" runs vertically along the left edge in white lettering.
documenta, catalog, Prestel-Verlag, Munich, (reprint 1995), photos: Marianne Vierø
Cover of the catalog of the first documenta. A large white "d" on a red background with the title "documenta" and the subtitle "Art of the XXth century".Double-page spread from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, a black-and-white photo of six men in long coats and hats in front of a building (Futurists in Paris, 1913). On the right, a portrait of the artist Giorgio Morandi with glasses on his forehead and several bottle-shaped objects in front of him.Double-page spread from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, an abstract metal sculpture by Hans Uhlmann from 1955. On the right, a detail of a monumental wooden sculpture with interlocking wheels and shapes by Misko Busuncic from 1950.Double page from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left, a blank yellow page. On the right, a black and white photograph of the sculpture "Venus" by Aristide Maillol from 1933.Double page from the catalog of the first documenta: On the left a black and white painting "Red Studio" by Henri Matisse from 1911. On the right a color painting "Still Life" by Henri Matisse from 1910 with a table, flowers and framed pictures.Back cover of the catalog of the first documenta 1955. The design shows a large white "K" on a blue background. The lettering "International Exhibition Kassel 1955 in the Museum Fridericianum" runs vertically along the left edge in white lettering.

The catalog of the first documenta was so popular when it was published that a second edition had to be reprinted within a very short time. The final tally shows 15,000 copies sold. While the exhibition was still running, the daily press reported rising catalog prices on the "black market".

In addition to the programmatic introduction by Werner Haftmann, which places the exhibition project in the context of the (post-war) present and explains the historical retrospective, the contributions by Heinz Lemke (foreword) and Stephan Hirzel ("On the architecture of 1905-1955") form the textual "framework" of the exhibition catalog. The key themes of Haftmann's introduction are the continuous - albeit interrupted - development of modern art since the turn of the century and the "encounter of recent German art with artists from other European countries" (Haftmann: Introduction, p. 25).

The majority of the book is made up of full-page black-and-white plates of works of painting and sculpture. In keeping with the canonical appreciation, selected examples are highlighted by color reproductions: This concerns the works of Paul Klee, Oskar Kokoschka, Max Beckmann, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky and Umberto Boccioni. In addition, there are lists of the participating artists and their exhibited works, brief biographical information and lists of lenders, committees and donors.