Between the Covers

Unbound. Original artwork. Oil on cardboard, double-sided. Approximately 8½" x 17¼". Edgewear, else near fine. Two oil paintings of dancing nudes. One side is dated, 1/28/39. On the same side are two labels with catalog numbers, one from Luethi-Peterson Camps (a non-profit organization that Cummings' daughter Nancy left many of his paints too), and another bookseller, Ken Lopez, who has a website dedicated to Cummings' artwork. Known for his experimental poetry, Cummings was also a prolific painter with a distinct style. In a piece titled "Forward I" found in his collected miscellaneous writings, Cummings plays out an imaginary conversation, "Why do you paint?/For the exact same reason I breathe ... Tell me doesn't your painting interfere with your writing/Quite the contrary: they love each other dearly."

Item #72309