signed first edition Hardcover
1916 · London
by Dulac, Edmund
London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1916. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. This is No. 88 of 350 copies signed by Edmund Dulac. Quarto: [x], 170 p. Original white cloth binding, with elaborate gilt-stamped designs and blue accents. Near fine. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin.
"British artist Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) was among best-known illustrators of the "Golden Age of Children's Gift Books" during the early twentieth century. After studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and winning major prizes for his paintings, he returned to London in 1904 and began his meteoric rise as illustrator of luxury picture books, adapting his skill at pen and ink drawing, watercolor and gouache to new developments in color offset printing technology.
Originally published in 1916 during the darkest days of the Great War (First World War: 1914-1916), Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book is one of the last examples of this category of high-end publishing, as wartime rationing severely restricted the availability of paper for civilian use. One can only speculate that Dulac's book was given special consideration because of its patriotic focus in presenting a selection of tales representing the Allied nations fighting alongside Great Britain, including France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Japan, and China. (Conspicuously absent are any familiar tales from Germany and the other Central Powers!)
Dulac adapted his own texts, clearly with an eye for describing settings and details that he would highlight in his illustrations. The sixteen tipped-in color plates, each measuring approximately 15 x 13 cm., demonstrate through the different styles he employs his keen interest in the folklore and folk art of each country. For example, his illustration to the Chinese tale "The Story of the Bird Feng" takes the form of a Chinese fan. The Japanese tale "Urashima Taro" is represented by a subtle watercolor clearly influenced by Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Perhaps most spectacular of all are the illustrations for the Russian tales "Ivan and the Chestnut Horse" and "The Fire Bird," both of which owe a debt to Leon Bakst's opulent stage designs for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes productions" (Minneapolis College of Art and Design). (Inventory #: 77260)
"British artist Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) was among best-known illustrators of the "Golden Age of Children's Gift Books" during the early twentieth century. After studying at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and winning major prizes for his paintings, he returned to London in 1904 and began his meteoric rise as illustrator of luxury picture books, adapting his skill at pen and ink drawing, watercolor and gouache to new developments in color offset printing technology.
Originally published in 1916 during the darkest days of the Great War (First World War: 1914-1916), Edmund Dulac's Fairy-Book is one of the last examples of this category of high-end publishing, as wartime rationing severely restricted the availability of paper for civilian use. One can only speculate that Dulac's book was given special consideration because of its patriotic focus in presenting a selection of tales representing the Allied nations fighting alongside Great Britain, including France, Russia, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Japan, and China. (Conspicuously absent are any familiar tales from Germany and the other Central Powers!)
Dulac adapted his own texts, clearly with an eye for describing settings and details that he would highlight in his illustrations. The sixteen tipped-in color plates, each measuring approximately 15 x 13 cm., demonstrate through the different styles he employs his keen interest in the folklore and folk art of each country. For example, his illustration to the Chinese tale "The Story of the Bird Feng" takes the form of a Chinese fan. The Japanese tale "Urashima Taro" is represented by a subtle watercolor clearly influenced by Ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Perhaps most spectacular of all are the illustrations for the Russian tales "Ivan and the Chestnut Horse" and "The Fire Bird," both of which owe a debt to Leon Bakst's opulent stage designs for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes productions" (Minneapolis College of Art and Design). (Inventory #: 77260)