Beschreibung:

Title: [Le Morte Darthur, i.e.] 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 Le Morte DArthur with the Dolourous Death and Departing Out of the World of them All Author: Malory, Thomas Place: [London] Publisher: Dent & Co Date: 1893-94 Description: 3 volumes bound in 6. xc, 104; [105]-290; [4], [291]-455, [1]; [457]-664; [4], [655]-821, [1]; [823]-990, [1] pp. Illustrated throughout by Aubrey Beardsley with 2 copper-engraved frontispieces; 18 wood-engraved plates, 4 of them double-page; vignettes in text, initials, decorations, etc. 25.2x19.5 cm. (10x7¾"), period full dark blue morocco ruled in gilt, spines lettered in gilt, raised bands, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, others untrimmed; bound by C. Fox. No. 150 of 300 copies printed on Dutch Hand Made Paper, from a run of 1800 copies. First Beardsley Edition. "Superior Issue" of Aubrey Beardsley's first important work, containing over 300 of his designs. "In Le Morte DArthur Beardsley learnt his job, but the result is no bungling student's work. If he had never illustrated another book, this edition of Morte DArthur could stand as a monument of decorative book illustration" (in The Twentieth Century Book, pp. 148-149). Beardsley was 20 years old when Dent first commissioned him with this project. Lot Amendments Condition: Spines a little sunned, slight rubbing to joints and corners; plates with some darkening, offset to and from them as is generally the case, slight pale stains to top corners of the plates well away from images, some tissue guards not present; very good, a rare issue of an important illustrated work. Item number: 213688