Beschreibung:

Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W Fore edge paintings Shakespeare W [Fore-edge paintings]. Shakespeare, W. The Plays. Ed. G. Steevens. London, F., C. and J. Rivington a.m.o., , engr. frontisp. portrait by J. NEAGLE, bound (by ?) in contemp. unif. richly gilt and blindst. straight grained dark brown morocco, richy gilt turn-ins, pink doublures and endpapers, a.e.g., fore-edge paintings. - All vols. w. lithographed heraldic bookplate (?) w. motto "Non mai disperar" laid down on title-p. Without the plates after Henri Fuseli called for on the title-page. Occas. sl. foxed; two tiny red marks on title-p. vol. I; bindings occas. trifle rubbed spots at corners, spine-ends and joints. A very fine and attractively bound set. = Large paper set on thick paper. The (skilfull) binder was not identified by us but worked in the style of Charles Smith (of London; see Ramsden, p.. Unique set with FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS showing scenes related to Shakespeare's life and his plays. Three of the scenes are identified in modern pencil on verso of the first free endpaper of the vols.: "Shakespeare's Birthplace + Ann Hathaway's Cottage" (vol. IV), "Glamis Castle (...) (Macbeth)" (vol. VI), "Charlcote House where Shakespeare poached Lucy's deer" (vol. VIII) and most others are identifiable, i.a. Windsor Castle (vol. V), Mantova (vol. I), Venice (vol. IX), and of London. Apart from the unidentified bookplates (?), the only other pointer to the origin of this beautiful set is a small hand-drawn vignette in pencil of a head looking in three directions, which is found on the first blank of the final volume. SEE ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE LII. Call for price