The Birth Life And Acts Of King Arthur Of His Noble Knights Of The Round Table........

London: J.M. Dent, 1894. First edition. Hardcover. Orig. beige cloth, front cover and spine decorated in gilt motifs, beveled edges. Teg. Very good. 2 Vols. 990 pages. 25 x 19.5 cm. Limited edition one of 1500 copies printed on handmade Dutch paper from an edition of 1800. Two photogravure frontispieces, 18 plates, decorations throughout by Beardsley, and a plethora of in-text wood engravings. GORDON N. RAY 314. "Seeking to emulate the books of the Kelmscott Press, John Dent in 1892 offered Beardsley 200 pounds for twenty full-page illustrations, about one hundred smaller designs in the text, and nearly 350 initial letters for `Le Morte d'Arthur. In accepting (truncated) this formidable commission, the artist anticipated, correctly as it turned out `a year's hard work." This work is Beardsley's first commission, and was executed when the artist was only 20 years old. It is widely considered one of his best efforts. Back cover with Dent monogram decorated in gilt. (Inventory #: 24290)