PORTFOLIO OF SUPPRESSED BEARDSLEY ILLUSTRATIONS
An Issue of Five Drawings Illustrative of Juvenal and Lucian
[Leonard Smithers], 1906.
First edition. Number 40 of 120 sets. Five loose plates printed on japon, preceded by a title leaf, colophon leaf and contents leaf. All housed in the original brick-red paper portfolio. Five drawings are reproduced, with three plates illustrating Juvenal's 'Sixth Satire' and two unused illustrations from Lucian's True History. A near fine set, with minor wear to the portfolio. Small marks to the bottom edge of a few sheets, but nothing affecting the images which are clean. Bookplate to the inside of the portfolio.
An uncommon set of Beardsley illustrations, collected, printed and issued anonymously by Leonard Smithers, who introduces them on the colophon leaf:
"This issue contains five exceedingly brilliant Drawings by the late Aubrey Beardsley which have been regarded as too free in design for general circulation... These Drawings are printed from the original blocks, and as only a few engravers proofs have previously been pulled, the impressions are perfectly clear, and may be regarded as proofs."
This set of illustrations represent Smithers's final publication of the artist, having "sustained and enhanced Beardsley's posthumous reputation" (James G. Nelson, Publisher To The Decadents, 2010)
Stock ID: 39613
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