You know what there simply aren’t enough of? Children’s books that lampoon the Cubist movement. As Will Schofield over at 50 Watts explains, “The Cubies’ A B C is a mostly light-hearted jab at the Cubists in the guise of a children’s book. Brancusi, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Picasso, and Stein are gently skewered in alphabetical order.” The cheeky tome was dedicated to the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, aka the organization behind the Armory Show, the annual exhibition that first introduced many of these artists to American audiences. See a selection of our favorite pages from the strange 1913 book in our slideshow, then head over to 50 Watts for even more scans.
“B is for Beauty as Brancusi views it”
“D is for Duchamp, the Deep-Dyed Deceiver”
“E is for the Ego, intense and Exotic”
“G is for Gertrude Stein’s limpid lucidity”
“K’s for Kandinsky’s Kute ‘improvisations'”
“M’s for Matisse’s Man’selle Marguerite”
“N’s for the Nudes that the Cubies portray”
“P’s for Picasso, Picabia and Party”
“W’s for Woolworth, the building so stable”