Aubrey Beardsley (illustrated); Thomas Malory: 'Le Morte D'A...

Hammer

£190

Aubrey Beardsley (illustrated); Thomas Malory: 'Le Morte D'Arthur: The Birth Life and Acts of King Arthur Of His Noble Knights of the Round Table Their Marvellous Enquests and Adventures The Achieving of the San Greal and in the End the Morte DArthur with the Dolorous Death and Departing Out of This World by All of Them', Woodbridge, Boydell Press, limited edition, no. 224 of 500 copies, 2 volumes, facsimile limited edition of the original edition illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley and published by JM Dent in 1893/94, full page plates and in text illustrations and decorations by Beardsley throughout complete, uniform polished buckram, striking Beardsley designed gilt decoration to spines and covers replicating the original edition, original slipcase. A fine facsimile of Beardsley's first major commission and the book that launched the "Beardsley look"In 1892, seeking to emulate the books of the Kelmscott Press, John M. Dent commissioned the 20-year-old Beardsley to produce this edition, work that took the young artist 18 months to complete. "In Le Morte d'Arthur Beardsley learnt his job, but the result is no bungling student's work. If he had never illustrated another book, this edition of Morte d'Arthur could stand as a monument of decorative book illustration" (Lewis, pp. 148-9).