Gill, Eric (1882-1940)
Volume of wood-engravings presented by Gill to his wife Mary Ethel Moore Gill, c.1926-1929
£3,276
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 28 September 2022 from 10:00 BST
Description
4to, later red quarter morocco, spine gilt-lettered 'Engravings by E. G. for M. E. G.', bookplate of Mary Gill to front pastedown, containing 16 wood-engravings by Gill, of which 13 (nos. 1-13 below) inscribed by him in pencil 'MEG' or 'To MEG' (one additionally inscribed 'from EG'), and 3 (nos. 14-16) numbered and signed but not addressed to any recipient, various dimensions, each mounted on separate sheets (rectos only), interleaved throughout, titles as follows (Skelton numbers in square brackets):
1. The Martyrdom of St Saturus, from The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity and The Fleuron VII, 1928 [P559: in its published form an additional block printed in red was used for the blood of the martyr];
2. Christchild, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P597];
3. The Money Bag, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P602];
4. The Lawyer's Tale, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P585];
5. Initial letter A with foliate border, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P551 for the letter only, the foliate border not included under that catalogue entry];
6. Girl Sitting in Leaves: Belle Sauvage I, from The Legion Book, 1929 [P558];
7. The Flight of St Perpetua, from The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity and The Fleuron VII, 1928 [P554];
8. Spray of Seven Leaves and Four Curls [and] Man holding Curl of Spray, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P565 and 566];
9. Initial letter N, The Tale of Melibeus, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P593];
10. Leda Waiting, from Leda, 1929 [P616];
11. Fig Leaf, from Leda, 1929 [P615];
12. Initial letter W, The Tale of Sir Topas, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 [P590];
13. [Two marionettes suspended amid advertising hoardings], [unidentified];
14. The Kiss of Judas, from Passio Domini Nostri Jesus Christi, 1926, inscribed by Gill '15/15 EG' [P315];
15. Belle Sauvage III, from Art Nonsense and Other Essays, 1929, inscribed by Gill '8/10 Eric Gill' [P622];
16. Ecce tu pulchra es, from Canticum Canticorum, 1929, variant state overprinted in blue with a second woodblock, inscribed by Gill '2/12 Eric G' [P614: 'not used']
Footnote
Provenance: Property of an English collector.