Print is 14 5/8 inches wide and 13 3/4 inches tall.

Rakuzin, born in 1948 in Moscow, now lives in Paris. His work is held in many private and public collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Books are a favorite theme in his work. He  writes, "I was born among books. They have always been my natural environment. I cannot imagine myself living in a room without at least one bookcase in it. That is not only a cultural necessity, but also a physiological need.

"Here they are, my books, looking at me from the bookcases. Some of them I brought long, long ago from Moscow, others were bought in the cities I’ve lived in or visited. There are some that are older than me: I inherited them. Others have been bought recently. There are volumes that are falling apart from long and repeated use; there are quite a few new ones... I look at them and remember where I acquired them, remember people and events connected with them. Here are books that my father illustrated: Ibsen, Anatole France, George Sand. And here is Gulliver’s Travels with illustrations by Granville...."

More about the artist at http://www.naftalirakuzin.com/