Comus by John Milton Illustrated by Arthur Rackham, William Heinemann, London, Doubleday Page & Co., New York, 1921, 76 pp, green decorative cloth, 10.25 x 8”, 4to.
In good condition. A stunning book in general! Light wear to extremities with minor crushing to tips and end bands. Minor rubbing to surface of cloth. Spine slightly faded with rubbed gilt work. Front cover depicting monsters wearing Elizabethan ruffs designed by Rackham. Pictorial end papers in light blue depicting silhouette nymphs being chased by sprites in the wood. Gift inscription dated Christmas, 1921 on rear fly leaf. Front gutter tender and nearly split. Light age-related toning throughout. Binding remains intact. All plates and tissue guards present. Free of known markings. Top edge gilt. Please see photos.
A truly whimsical and delightful take on Milton’s mythology Comus, 1634. Comus is a masque in honour of chastity, written by John Milton. It was first presented on Michaelmas, 1634, before John Egerton, 1st Earl of Bridgewater, at Ludlow Castle in celebration of the Earl's new post as Lord President of Wales.
Arthur Rackham books are quite collectible and fetch high prices at auction, especially first editions in nice shape. Rackham is considered the leading illustrator of the Golden Age of British book illustration at the turn of the 20th century. Simply wonderful.
COLI1921IJKZ - 09/22 - LH
FORN-SHELF-0661-2602-HKREV1780