William Blake's Water-colour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray

£38.00

William Blake's Water-colour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray

Name: William Blake's Water-colour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6463
Price: 38.00 GBP
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William Blake's Water-colour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray, Thomas Gray — 1st Edition

Publication: London, Eyre Methuen Ltd., 1972

Formatting: 4to, unpaginated.

Condition Report: Near Fine. Bound in the original blue cloth with brilliant, unoxidised gilt titling to the spine. The binding remains remarkably square and tight, displaying no discernible shelf-wear, rubbing, or bumping to the board corners. The text block is structurally robust and exceptionally clean, with bright, crisp pages entirely free from foxing, moisture damage, or notable age-toning. The internal condition is pristine, showing no loose gatherings or hinge weakness.

Catalogue Note: This 1972 trade edition was published by Eyre Methuen in association with the celebrated Trianon Press, Paris. It serves as a more accessible counterpart to the strictly limited, hand-coloured Trianon Press edition of 518 copies published in the same year. Designed and produced under the supervision of Arnold Fawcus and Fernand Chenot, the eight-colour offset plates replicate Blake's visionary watercolours with exceptional fidelity.

The text was composed in Monotype Bembo and printed in France. This trade edition provides a superlative reference for Blake's artistic mastery without the prohibitive scarcity of the limited issue, making it a highly desirable volume for both Blake scholars and collectors of fine printing.

Commissioned around 1797 by his friend John Flaxman as a gift for his wife, William Blake's watercolours illustrating the poems of Thomas Gray remained largely unknown to the wider public for over a century. This beautiful edition reproduces Blake's striking, ethereal designs exactly as they were conceived, framing the inset text of Gray's classic poetry. It is a stunning marriage of Enlightenment verse and Romantic vision, capturing Blake's unique ability to transcend mere illustration and offer profound, mystical interpretations of the written word.

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: Thomas Gray

Book Publisher: Eyre Methuen Ltd.

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Poetry

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1972

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: William Blake

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: Paris, France

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.