The Book BeauTiful: Illustrated Books, Fine Press Books, Fine Bindings, and Books About Books “If the Book Beautiful may be beautiful by virtue of its writing or printing or illustration, it may also be beautiful, be even more beautiful, by the union of all to the production of one composite whole, the consummate Book Beautiful. Here the idea to be communicated by the book comes first, as the thing of supreme importance. Then comes in attendance upon it, striving for the love of the idea to be itself beautiful, the written or printed page, the decorated or decorative letters, the pictures, set amid the text, and finally the binding, holding the whole in its strong grip and for very love again itself becoming beautiful because in company with the idea. “This is the supreme Book Beautiful or Ideal Book, a dream, a symbol of the infinitely beautiful in which all things of beauty rest and into which all things of beauty do ultimately merge.” —Thomas J. Cobden-Sanderson, co-founder of the Doves Press, in his treatise The Ideal Book or Book Beautiful, published in 1900, item 27. Illustrated Books auBrey Beardsley “His Strongest Illustrations”: Beardsley’s King Arthur, His First Illustrated Book— An Outstanding Copy In Original Parts 1. (BEARDSLEY, Aubrey) MALORY, Thomas. The Birth, Life and Acts of King Arthur, Of His Noble Knights of the Round Table. London, 1893-94. Twelve parts. Quarto, original gray pictorial wrappers, uncut and partially unopened; custom chemise and half morocco slipcase. $12,500. The Book Beautiful: First edition, “superior issue,” of Aubrey Beardsley’s magnificently illustrated version of Malory’s masterpiece, one of only 300 copies on handmade Dutch paper, with 15 full-page and five double-page illustrations, as well as over 20 rubricated initials, over 40 borders and nearly 300 in-text decorations throughout. An outstanding uncut copy in the original parts with original pictorial wrappers, rarely seen in this condition. “Each century has produced its own version of the Arthurian tapestry, but Malory’s will never be forgotten” (PMM 29). J.M. Dent’s version contains illustrations “by the then-unknown Aubrey Beardsley. Though a Burne-Jones influence was evident in the early chapters, Beardsley soon developed the Art Nouveau style characterized by whiplash line, abstract floral motifs and starkly contrasted black-and-white forms. Far more original was his treatment of content, for his knights, lethargic and spiritless, are completely dominated by their mistresses and the fays. Far from glorifying chivalric romance, Beardsley Illustrated Books satirized it, shocking Victorian sensibilities with his effeminate heroes, androgynous nudes, lecherous satyrs and sensual angels” (Lacy, 46). This was Beardsley’s first illustrated book, originally published in two issues, both in 12 separate parts: 300 numbered copies in gray wrappers printed on Van Gelder paper (the present copy, known as the “superior issue”—later bound in three volumes due to the thickness of the paper); and 1500 copies in green wrappers (later bound in two gilt- decorated cloth volumes). It uses the Caxton version as its original, with modern spelling. “Morte d’Arthur brought [Beardsley] instant recognition and the artistic leadership of a decade often known as the ‘Beardsley period’… The Malory drawings are his strongest illustrations” (The Artist and the Book 16). Lasner 22. Interiors fine, with the usual mild offsetting from illustrations. Spines and front wrapper of Part XII gently tanned; expected minor edge-wear to original wrappers. A superior copy of the “Superior Edition” in the original parts, most uncommon and desirable thus. www.BaumanRareBooks.com | 1-800-99-bauman 2 shakespeare “The Finest Set Of Shakespeare Illustrations Ever Made” 2. (BOYDELL, John, publisher) (SHAKESPEARE) A Collection of Prints from Pictures for the Purpose of Illustrating the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare… London, 1803. Two volumes bound in one. Elephant folio (22 by 28 inches), 19th-century three-quarter brown morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine. $23,000. The Book Beautiful: Magnificent 1803 elephant folio issue of the prints for the sumptuous Boydell Shakespeare, with engraved frontispieces and engraved title vignettes for each volume and 89 splendid full-page copperplate engravings (totaling 93 engravings) after works by the period’s most eminent English artists—including Reynolds, Romney, Smirke, Stothard, Fuseli and Westall. In 1786, Boydell “embarked upon the most important enterprise of his life, namely the publication, by subscription, of a series of prints illustrative of Shakespeare, after pictures painted expressly for the work by English artists. For this purpose he gave commissions to all the most celebrated painters of England for pictures, and built a gallery in Pall Mall for their exhibition. The execution of this project extended over several years” (DNB). According to Boydell’s prospectus, a type foundry, an ink factory, and a printing house were all specially erected for this monumental production. England’s finest artists—Reynolds, Smirke, Fuseli, Romney, Westall, Northcote, Hamilton, Threw, Opie, Porter, and others—were employed for the project: “Among the great talents engaged by Boydell it turns out that each artist produced outstanding work… the finest set of Shakespeare Illustrated Books illustrations ever made” (Franklin, 216). Originally issued with George Steevens’ revised text and in 18 parts forming nine volumes, the first part of Boydell’s Shakespeare was published in 1791. Upon its completion, the whole was again issued in 1802. In the same year, the 100 magnificent plates, “the production of which swallowed up a fortune,” were issued separately for the first time.These were again issued in 1803 and 1804. Sets were apparently issued with different numbers of plates, up to 100; this copy, with 93 plates (omitting Smirke’s Seven Ages of Man plates, after Jacques’ famous soliloquy inAs You Like It), collates perfectly with the plate lists in each volume (Jaggard, 508). With both titles dated 1803 and dedication dated 1805. Jaggard, 508. Occasional expert paper repairs to versos, a few plates remargined; impressions unusually fresh and clean; binding handsome. A magnificent production. www.BaumanRareBooks.com | 1-800-99-bauman 3 “Undeniably Opulent”: Boydell’s Large Illustrated Folio Edition Of Milton’s Poetical Works 3. (BOYDELL, John, publisher) MILTON, John. The Poetical Works of John Milton… London, 1794-97. Three volumes. Large folio (13 by 17 inches), contemporary full brown diced calf gilt rebacked. $7500. Boydell’s sumptuous large folio edition of Milton’s Poetical Works, “the ne plus ultra of magnificent printing” (Dibdin), with three engraved portraits by William Gardiner, an engraved plate Milton and his Two Daughters after George Romney, and 28 intricate full-page engravings after Richard Westall. Engraver, print publisher, patron of the arts, Lord Mayor of London, John Boydell commissioned leading artists of the day to produce lavish editions of the greatest English writers. This splendid edition of Milton was among them. It is one of the first publications of William Bulmer’s London press for Boydell and is thought by many to be its finest production. A 1793 prospectus presents Boydell’s Milton venture in the light of his ongoing Shakespeare project: “‘this national edition of our first Heroic Poet is intended as a companion to that of our first Dramatic Poet’… Initially, the prospectus had called for ‘the best engravers, after the designs of the first artists,’ [but] in the end, Boydell commissioned Richard Westall to illustrate the whole text [one painting per book]… Westall’s drawings were exhibited at the Shakespeare Gallery in 1797” (Luisa Calè). “Undeniably opulent, but their straightforward, literate typography and printing spared them from ostentation… These superb books must have occupied proud places in the stately libraries of 18th-century manor houses” (Blumenthal, 31). In 1793 George Romney made a painting of Milton and his Two Daughters, for which Boydell paid 50 guineas for the right to reproduce. A copperplate was engraved by Benjamin Smith in 1795 and it appears in this edition at page cxii of Haley’s “Life of Milton.” Lowndes, 1556. Armorial bookplate of Lord Rivers. Paper repair to front free endpaper and fly leaves of Volume I, occasional very light patches of foxing, contemporary calf handsome. Near-fine. One Of Only 250 Copies Signed By Richard Adams And Illustrator John Lawrence, With Original Watercolor Signed By Lawrence 4. ADAMS, Richard. Watership Down. London, 1976. Octavo, original full green morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine and The Book Beautiful: covers, slipcase. $3000. Signed limited first illustrated edition of Adams’ first and best- loved book, one of only 250 copies signed on the title page by Richard Adams and on the frontispiece by illustrator John Lawrence and with original watercolor illustration signed by John Lawrence, in a beautiful full morocco-gilt binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe featuring pictorial gilt-stamping of rabbits on the front cover and rabbits and rushes down the spine. An “outstandingly popular animal story… in a few years the book’s Illustrated Books popularity in English-speaking countries had come to rival that of The Lord of the Rings” (Carpenter & Prichard, 563). “Here is the Odyssey and Iliad of rabbits, for people of all ages—a splendidly written adventure story” (New York Times Books of the Century). Awarded both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for Children’s fiction. Artist John Lawrence is widely regarded as one of Great Britain’s most talented illustrators. He has twice been awarded the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Francis Williams Award, which is presented for accomplishments in book illustration. This edition ofWatership Down, featuring dozens of his illustrations in black-and-white and in color, is considered to be among his best works. The first edition of Watership Down was published in 1972; this is the first illustrated edition. Bookplate. Fine and beautiful. www.BaumanRareBooks.com | 1-800-99-bauman 4 Nijinsky, With 12 Hand-Colored Illustrations By Barbier 5.