ABOUT THIS COLLECTION  
This collection contains some of the paper polyhedron models made by Max Brückner, and published in 1900 in his book “Vielecke und Vielflache: Theorie und Geschichte” (“Polygons and Polyhedra: Theory and History”).  A German mathematician, Bruckner is best known for this work, which is illustrated with hundreds of engraved images and 10 full sheets of photographic plates illustrating 146 spectacular paper models neatly arrayed on shelves.  The models exemplify a mathematical world that only a few specialists fully appreciate, but have come to be appreciated by a wide public for their aesthetic value. Although Brückner's photographs live on, there is no record of what happened to the original paper polyhedra. He donated 200 models to Heidelberg University a few years before his death, but the University has no documentation as to their ultimate fate.
 
COLLECTION DETAILS
Series title: Polygons and Polyhedra: Theory and History
Series size: 8 artworks
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarrante proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Technical drawings
Artwork materials:  Pencil on paper
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Brückner mentions that he went to great pains over several years to make the paper models shown in the book. And though technically not an artist, he patiently created these complex and beautiful structures with paper, scissors, and glue. A high school math teacher, Brückner’s models were not taken seriously by the academic world at the time because they were seen more as a jumble of forms than a serious investigation. Nor were they taken seriously as fine art, as they are today. In 1900, paper was not seen as an artistic medium suitable for sculpture. The Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898–1972), among others, studied Brückner's figures in great detail. Many Escher works feature forms found in Brückner’s book, most notably the compound of three octahedra in the engraving called Stars, which depicts the shape floating through space in the form of a cage with two chameleons inside it. 
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Max Brückner
Year of original publication: 1900
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: Internet Archive / University of Toronto Libraries
Underlying work rights: PD Worldwide
Digital copyrights: No Additional Rights