The Sum of the Parts The Complete Portfolios of Josef Albers

“Each portfolio is a journey through a particular aspect of his work, and while the individual plates stand as significant prints in their own right, when viewed in their entirety, each portfolio is – as the title of the book suggest – far greater than the sum of its parts.”

This hard-back publication is the first book solely dedicated to Josef Albers’s complete print portfolios; all made during the latter decades of his life, using lithography, silkscreen, inkless intaglio, and embossing. In creating these portfolios, Albers worked with some of the greatest print studios and master printers of the century. In each case, their collaborations pushed the boundaries not only of his own practice, but also of what could be achieved in printed form.

This book acts as a corollary to the catalogue raisonné of Josef Albers prints. During his lifetime and subsequently, a significant number of the portfolios have been broken up, making complete sets increasing rare to find and see. 

The Sum of the Parts also features an introduction by Nicholas Fox Weber, Executive Director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and a text by David Cleaton-Roberts, a senior director of Cristea Roberts Gallery.

Publisher: Cristea Roberts Gallery
Published: 2025