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細節
VARLEY, John (1778-1842). A Treatise of Zodiacal Physiognomy, illustrated with engravings of heads and features. London: for the author and sold by Longman, 1828.
8° (248 x 152mm). Engraved frontispiece and 6 plates by John Linnell after Varley with contributions by William Blake. (Penultimate plate repaired at corners, title somewhat soiled, corner repairs to title and following leaf, a few short marginal tears.) Fawn half morocco by Tout, top edge gilt, others uncut, ORIGINAL WRAPPERS BOUND IN (wrappers laid down). Provenance: Earls of Crawford ('Balcarres' book label).
FIRST AND ONLY EDITION of this elusive Blake item, described by Gilchrist in 1863 as 'that singular and now very scarce book', and by Michael Rossetti as 'a precious and almost undiscoverable brochure'. The BL copy is imperfect, lacking the final Blake plate, and most recorded copies lack the wrappers. Although the printed front wrapper states 'No. 1 To be completed in four parts', no more parts appeared, perhaps because Varley was so constantly in debt. His publication had much to do with the contemporary fascination for physiognomy as well as astrology. Besides Blake's figure of the constellation 'Cancer', it includes 'the most curious of all these visionary heads, and the most talked about' (Gilchrist I, p. 254) -- 'the ghost of a flea', seen in the frontispiece with mouth open, and in the penultimate plate, illustrated above, with jaw tightly shut. How Blake came to draw the apparition, and how he reported its explanation of the spirit world to Varley, is famously described on pp. 54-55. Keynes 248: 'extremely rare'; Bentley Blake Books 501.
8° (248 x 152mm). Engraved frontispiece and 6 plates by John Linnell after Varley with contributions by William Blake. (Penultimate plate repaired at corners, title somewhat soiled, corner repairs to title and following leaf, a few short marginal tears.) Fawn half morocco by Tout, top edge gilt, others uncut, ORIGINAL WRAPPERS BOUND IN (wrappers laid down). Provenance: Earls of Crawford ('Balcarres' book label).
FIRST AND ONLY EDITION of this elusive Blake item, described by Gilchrist in 1863 as 'that singular and now very scarce book', and by Michael Rossetti as 'a precious and almost undiscoverable brochure'. The BL copy is imperfect, lacking the final Blake plate, and most recorded copies lack the wrappers. Although the printed front wrapper states 'No. 1 To be completed in four parts', no more parts appeared, perhaps because Varley was so constantly in debt. His publication had much to do with the contemporary fascination for physiognomy as well as astrology. Besides Blake's figure of the constellation 'Cancer', it includes 'the most curious of all these visionary heads, and the most talked about' (Gilchrist I, p. 254) -- 'the ghost of a flea', seen in the frontispiece with mouth open, and in the penultimate plate, illustrated above, with jaw tightly shut. How Blake came to draw the apparition, and how he reported its explanation of the spirit world to Varley, is famously described on pp. 54-55. Keynes 248: 'extremely rare'; Bentley Blake Books 501.
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