Rome

William Klein
Rome

Photographs: William Klein

Text: Federico Fellini, Belli, Taine, Michelet, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Leopardi, Cocteau, ...

Publisher: Seuil

196 pages

Year: 1959

Comments: Hardcover under dust jacket, 285 x 230 mm. First and french edition, 1959. Gravure printing. Text in french and in italian. Accompanied by quotes from renowed and talented italian artists such as Pier Paolo Pasolini or Alberto Moravia. In great condition. Just a little torn on corners of the spine, a very fresh copy. Amazing original edition beautifully designed. Included in The Photobook by Martin Parr & Gerry Badger, vol.1 ; The Book of 101 books by M + M Auer ; The Open Book by Andrew Roth.

Rome, the second in William Klein's city series’ books, came into existence purely through circumstance. In 1956, shortly after moving to Paris, American-born photographer Klein met Italian director Federico Fellini and presented him with his first book Life is good and good for you in New York. Fellini confessed to Klein that he already owned a copy, which he even kept by his bedside. Fellini invited Klein to Rome to work as an assistant on his upcoming movie Le notti di Cabiria (Nights of Cabiria). Shooting was delayed for a few weeks, so Klein took to the streets and pointed his camera at The city and its people. The resulting images, together with a couple of fashion pictures Klein shot for Vogue, became ROME. The book is divided into five chapters: Cittadini di Roma (Citizens of Rome), La Strada (The street), Città eterna (eternal city), Ragazzi (boys), Mondo cattolico (Catholic world). Each chapter is introduced with text and accompanied by small pictorial snippets of ephemera, snapshots and illustrations. The images themselves are pure Klein, demonstrating once again his ability to take seemingly stereotypical subjects and create something new, through his idiosyncratic visual language.

Andreas H. Bitesnich (Achtung Photography)