The Birth, Life and Acts of King Arthur, of the Noble Knights of the Round Table, their Marvellous Enquests and Adventures... WITH THE MORTE D'ARTHUR PORTFOLIO
Le Morte d'arthur The Birth, Life and Acts of King Arthur, of the Noble Knights of the Round Table, their Marvellous Enquests and Adventures... WITH THE MORTE D'ARTHUR PORTFOLIO
Dent, London, 1893.
First edition, three volumes, one of 300 sets specially printed on Van Gelder Paper, in the publisher's deluxe binding of full white vellum with Beardsley's designs embossed in gilt to the covers. Top edge gilt. Together with the portfolio, one of a limited edition of 300 copies on hand made paper. Original calf backed vellum with bold gilt Beardsley design. Top edge gilt and other edges untrimmed.
The main books with 2 mounted photogravure frontispieces on India paper, and 17 full-page wood engravings (including five double-page), numerous text illustrations, and approximately 350 designs for chapter headings and borders, all by Aubrey Beardsley. This set bound without the final plate in volume one.
The Portfolio with 11 designs omitted from the first edition of Le Morte D'Arthur, as well as the designs made for the covers of the parts and an enlarged print of the Merlin drawing. A beautiful set of this sumptuous work.
Always an avid reader Beardsley frequented London's antiquarian book shops, where he forged a friendship with book shop owner, Frederick Evans. Evans admired Aubrey's work and introduced him to a fellow customer, publisher J.M. Dent. Dent was planning a beautifully illustrated version of Malory's Morte D'Arthur, along the lines of some of Morris's Kelmscott Press books, but using a less expensive printing process. Loathe to pay the elevated fee William Morris would charge for this commission, Dent was persuaded to employ Aubrey Beardsley. To help secure this commission Beardsley drew, The Achieving of the Sangreal. Beardsley began the project with enthusiasm, but soon began to find the scale and the subject matter tedious. He was also disillusioned by the fact that so many images needed to be dramatically reduced for printing. This notwithstanding some of the images drawn for this volume remain the artist's most striking work and have not been equalled by any of his many disciples.
Stock ID: 29634
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