Blake and the Idea of the Book

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. First printing, oblong quarto size, 481 pp. In this volume, "Joseph Viscomi drastically revises our understanding of William Blake as he explores the technology behind the Illuminated Books. By using facsimiles created in his own studio, Viscomi, an experienced printmaker, offers the most complete explanation of how the illuminated plates were made, how Blake's techniques compared to other eighteenth-century print technologies, and how the plates were printed and the impressions colored" (n.b., from dust jacket flap).

By Joseph Viscomi, Associate Professor (truncated) of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HIll, and the author of several other works on William Blake.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full blue cloth, gilt lettering stamped on the spine on a stamped navy blue "label", grey endpapers, replete with illustrations, most black-and-white with a small section in full colour, mostly showing examples of Blake's work and a few illustrating his techniques; oblong quarto size (10 1/8" wide by 8.75" tall), pagination: [i-viii] ix-xvii, [blank, xviii], [1-3] 4-453. Matte finish dust jacket of black with light blue and white lettering, two small illustrations of Blake's work on the front panel, summary of the work on the front flap, author bio on the back flap, publisher's ad on the back panel.

___CONDITION: Volume fine; the cloth clean and without blemish, the corners straight and unrubbed, the binding tight with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; the dust jacket near fine, unclipped (although without a printed price), clean with absolutely no sunning, with only minor edgewear and a few shallow, stray marks on the back panel.

___POSTAGE: Please note that this volume is unusually large and heavy, and there additional postage may apply; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: CNJL2199)