A leaf from the first edition of Morte D'Arthur published in 1893-94 with illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. The leaf measures about 7 5/8" x 9 1/8".

The leaf contains the last page of chapter 38 and the first page of chapter 39 (pages 445-446). Page 446 contains one of Aubrey Beardsley's illustrations for the chapter heading.

The first edition of Morte D'Arthur is highly prized for Beardsley's illustrations. It was LIMITED to 1800 copies, 300 printed on Dutch hand-made paper and 1500 ordinary copies. This page is from one of the 300 copies on superior hand-made paper.

For provenance, the top of the cardboard cover contains the label from Brentano's Galleries, where our father likely purchased this piece.

Condition: The leaf is displayed in a cardboard cover with a plastic window. The leaf has been attached to the cardboard backer with small pieces of tape. Behind the leaf is a xerox copy of auction listings for the volume, presumably the copy from which this leaf was taken. Page 446, which contains Beardsley's illustration, is somewhat tanned, presumably from exposure to light through the plastic window. A small number (117-45) is pencilled in at the bottom of the leaf; the same number appears on the xeroxed auction listings and the sticker from Brentano's.

This leaf is suitable for conservation and framing.

Aubrey Beardsley ( 1872 – 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the aesthetic movement which also included Oscar Wilde and James McNeill Whistler. Beardsley's contribution to the development of the Art Nouveau and poster styles was significant despite his early death from tuberculosis.

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Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate.

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