ARDIZZONE'S OWN COPY OF HIS FIRST BOOK
In a Glass Darkly
Peter Davies, 1929.
First edition, first issue illustrated by Ardizzone. 8vo. Black buckram with gilt lettering on spine. Signed by Ardizzone on the front pastdeown. Black and white frontis and 153 illustrations in black and white by Ardizzone. A good copy, somewhat marked and worn. Previous ownership inscription scored through by Ardizzone, who presumably bought this copy on the secondary market.
This is the first book to be illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. and his early drawings, whilst already using his distinctive style of pencil shading, use much stronger lines than those of his later work.
Le Fanu's tale of mystery, In a Glass Darkly uses the technique common in gothic fiction of having a narrator/editor who presents past documents, in this instance of mysterious medical case histories from the papers of the nowdeceased Dr Hesselius. The latter is a European 'metaphysical physician' who likes to investigate curious psychological phenomena. He considerably resembles the later Professor Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's Dracula.
PROVENANCE: From the artist's own collection, with his ownership signature on the front
Stock ID: 38838
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