The Dance of Death by Hans Holbein, with an Introductory note by Austin Dobson [Later Edition – Fine Full Leather Binding]

Hans Holbein; Austin Dobson

Verlag: George Bell and Sons., London, 1898

Beschreibung

London: George Bell and Sons, 1898, Later Edition.

A beautifully bound small volume with gilt skulls to the boards, gilt titles to a red label to the spine, two raised bands, pages tanned with some foxing. With 43 pages of text in English followed by 41 plates which were present in the first edition followed by another 8 plates ?Added in Later Editions?.

The Dance of Death was composed by Hans Holbein the Younger between 1523 and 1525; the woodcuts were eventually collected in book form in 1538 by the Trechsel brothers, who had hitherto specialised in expensive works in Latin ? so there was already a precedent, of considerable vintage, for this book of illustrations to be released by a publisher of classic texts.

Renowned for his Dance of Death series, the famous designs by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497?1543) were drawn in 1526 while he was in Basel. They were cut in wood by the accomplished Formschneider (block cutter) Hans Lützelburger.

William Ivins (quoting W. J. Linton) writes of Lützelburger's work wrote:

"'Nothing indeed, by knife or by graver, is of higher quality than this man's doing.' For by common acclaim the originals are technically the most marvelous woodcuts ever made."

These woodcuts soon appeared in proofs with titles in German. The first book edition, containing forty-one woodcuts, was published at Lyons by the Treschsel brothers in 1538. The popularity of the work, and the currency of its message, are underscored by the fact that there were eleven editions before 1562, and over the sixteenth century perhaps as many as a hundred unauthorized editions and imitations. Ten further designs were added in later editions.

Pagination: 43pp, with a copy of the 1538 title page, followed by XLIX plates.

Provenance: no bookplate or inscriptions.

Approximately 5 ¼ inches tall (13.5cm).



Condition Report

Externally

Spine ? very good condition ? gilt titles to a red label, gilt year of publication to the base of the spin to a red label, two raised bands.
Joints ? very good condition ? gently rubbed.
Corners ? very good condition ? gently worn.
Boards ? very good condition ? full leather with gilt skulls to both boards, minor marks and scratches.
Page edges ? good condition ? top edges gilt, others tanned, marked and untrimmed.
Binding ? very good condition ? attractive.
See above and photos.

Internally

Hinges ? very good condition ? sound.
Paste downs ? very good condition ? new black paste downs.
End papers ? good condition ? new black end papers, subsequent papers tanned.
Title ? good condition ? tanned.
Pages ? good condition ? tanned with some foxing.
See photos.

Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers ABE-1763999265492

Bibliografische Details

• Titel: The Dance of Death by Hans Holbein, with an Introductory note by Austin Dobson [Later Edition ? Fine Full Leather Binding]
• Verlag: George Bell and Sons., London
• Erscheinungsjahr: 1898
• Sprache: Englisch
• Einband: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hans Holbein
• Zustand: Gut
• Verkäuferkataloge:
  • Fine Binding