Lucretius and Other Sonnets
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View on museum website →Medium
artist’s book: bound volume with lithographs and digital prints
Dimensions
overall (closed): 26.5 × 20 × 2.1 cm (10 7/16 × 7 7/8 × 13/16 in.)
Classification
Volume
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Fine in memory of Neal Turtell
Accession Number
2021.80.23
Art Historical Context
**Lucretius and Other Sonnets** (2017) is a captivating artist's book created by Claire Van Vliet, with sonnets by poet W. R. Johnson. Van Vliet, a renowned book artist and founder of the Janus Press, transforms poetry into a tactile art object, drawing inspiration from the ancient Roman philosopher Lucretius, whose epic poem *De Rerum Natura* explored nature, atoms, and the human condition. This contemporary work bridges classical philosophy with modern verse, inviting viewers to reflect on timeless ideas through intimate, handcrafted pages. Printed as a bound volume measuring 26.5 × 20 × 2....