Title:

Antoon Van Welie by Camille Mauclair – 1924 First Edition, Dutch Symbolist Painter, Art Monograph with Bookplate & Brentano’s Letter

Description:

A scarce 1924 first edition of Antoon Van Welie by noted French art critic and author Camille Mauclair, published in Paris by Henri Laurens. This illustrated monograph explores the work of Dutch symbolist painter Antoon van Welie, containing 88 heliotypic plates with 116 reproductions of the artist’s work, printed on thick laid paper.

This copy includes two compelling pieces of provenance: the personal bookplate of John W. Hancock (1870–1960) of Roanoke, Virginia—an industrialist and founder of the John W. Hancock Jr. Co.—and an original letter dated June 22, 1926, from the famed Brentano’s bookstore in New York City. The letter, tipped into the rear endpaper, confirms Hancock’s order of the book. Also tipped inside is a New York Times Book Review clipping reviewing the work and significance of Van Welie.

Condition:

The book measures approximately 9 x 7.5 inches and is 124 pages long. The binding is cracked at the spine, resulting in a slight tilt and looseness, though all pages remain present and intact. There is some age toning and light dampstaining to a few rear pages, as shown in photos. No writing or markings internally beyond the bookplate. Several pages at the top edges are uncut, a feature common to French art books of this period. The cover is well-preserved and the book is housed in a removable protective mylar jacket.