Shakespeare William [Antony and Cleopatra]. Antonii i Kleopatra. 

Translation by Boris Pasternak. 
Illustrations by M. Pikov.

Moskva, OGIZ, Goslitizdat, 1944. 
8vo, 148 pp., 5 l.pl., portrait.  

In original wrappers. 
In good condition, wear to wrappers, small losses to spine extremities.

First edition of 'Antony and Cleopatra' translated by Pasternak. This is the only separate edition of his translation. Printed during wartime (approved for printing on June 3, 1944).

This is the third Shakespeare play translated by Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), commissioned by the Moscow Art Theatre. He began work on it immediately after completing the translation of 'Romeo and Juliet'. By the end of June 1943, the translation was ready for printing. Soviet literary critic Mikhail Morozov described this translation as 'the most successful', emphasizing that it transcended mere translation to become a poetic dialogue between two poets. Pasternak himself likened Cleopatra to 'the Nastasya Filippovna of antiquity', drawing parallels with heroines such as Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. 
Illustrations were created by Mikhail Pikov (1903-1973), a student of VKhUTEMAS under Vladimir Favorsky, known for his mastery of woodcut techniques.

Zakharenko, 1995. # 114.