Buddenbrooks, Inc.

[Blake, Illus.] Blair, Robert GRAVE, A Poem London T. Bensley, for the proprietor, et al. 1808

The First Edition with Blake's plates, a subscriber's copy as indicated on the engraved title. John Quinn's copy. Illustrated with twelve etchings [including the engraved titlepage] executed by Louis Schiavonetti, from the original inventions of William Blake. 4to, untrimmed and in the publisher's original paper boards. Sometime rebacked in matching cloth. 1 p.l., xiv, 36, [4] Rare in such a fine state of preservation.

The Grave was the most popular of all Blake's books, and the images are among his most fantastic and well-known. Originally written in 1743 and the only published poem of the Presbyterian minister Robert Blair (1699-1746), The Grave was an immediate success. With the publication of this edition, Blake's name became inseparably linked with Blair's.
Commissioned in 1806, Blake's illustrations to 'The Grave' constitute a logical suite of designs with rich allegorical meaning. They depict the Soul's progression from a descent into the Vale of Death up to its admission unto Eternal Life. Forty designs were originally commissioned but only twelve were actually engraved. (Recently however watercolour illustrations of 9 other designs were rediscovered). The actual images were engraved by Schiavanetti, whose smooth engraving style was thought more conductive of commercial success. Blake in fact only realized 20 Pounds from these engravings, and Schiavanetti by comparison nearly 600. Blake also supplied the frontispiece and dedicatory poem for the work.
John Quinn was a highly noted early 20th century collector of English and Irish literature. He owned many original and important manuscripts and proofs by Joyce, Yeats, Pound and others.

$US7500

This item is listed on Bibliopoly by Buddenbrooks, Inc.; click here for further details.