The Life of William Blake.2 volumes.xiv, [2], 390; viii, 268 pp. Vol 1, illustrated with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Blake, 9 full page plates of varying formats with in-text illustrations throughout.Vol 2, illustrated with fold-out engraved frontispiece, plus 38 full-page plates bound at the end reproducing The Book of Job, Songs of Innocenceand Songs of Experience, most done with photolithography and ‘With a few of Blake’s original plates’.8vo., 230 x 150 mm, bound in publisher’s gilt-stamped brown pebbled cloth.London: Macmillan and Co., 1863.
First Edition.The first, and still relevant, book to fully explore of the enigmatic poet and artist William Blake.Author Alexander Gilchrist would not live to see the final published book as he died of a fever shortly before it was finished.In a forward from his wife, Anne, it is explained the books completion was done with the help of friends and Blake admirers Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his brother William Rossetti.Given the reproduction of many of Blake’s important contributions to the book arts along with tail-piece vignettes pulled from Blake imagery, the book itself is a fine representation of the spirit of its subject.
Pencil ownership inscriptions in pencil dated 1872 on both half-titles.Head and tail of the spines with some minor wear, else a fine set.
