GILL, Eric

Eric Gill Collection of 16 wood engravings housed in a book, presented by Eric Gill to his wife Mary Ethel Moore Gill circa 1926-1929 Signed and numbered.

Description

4to. Bound in later red quarter morocco, spine gilt-lettered Engravings by E. G. for M. E. G. with the bookplate of Mary Gill, a copper engraving by Eric Gill, to front paste down.

The book contains 16 original wood-engravings by Gill all printed on fine hand made paper, many of them Mulberry paper. Thirteen of the wood engravings  (nos. 1-13 below) are inscribed by him in pencil ‘MEG’ or ‘To MEG’ (one additionally inscribed from EG ), and 3 (nos. 14-16) numbered and signed but not addressed to any recipient, various dimensions, all printed on handmade paper, each mounted on separate sheets (rectos only), interleaved throughout, titles as follows (Physick (Skelton) numbers in square brackets):

1. The Martyrdom of St Saturus, from The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity and The Fleuron VII, 1928 [Physick 559: in its published form an additional block printed in red was used for the blood of the martyr. Inscribed to ‘Meg from EG’ in pencil in lower right corner. [There was an edition of 10 signed and numbered copies]

2. Christchild, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929. Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 597]

3. The Money Bag, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929.Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 602];

4. The Lawyer s Tale, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929.Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner.  [Physick 585];

5. Initial letter A with foliate border, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929. Inscribed  ‘Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 551 for the letter only, the foliate border not included under that catalogue entry, rare proof];

6. Girl Sitting in Leaves: Belle Sauvage I, from The Legion Book, 1929.Inscribed ‘Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 558] dark line in margin from printing;

7. The Flight of St Perpetua, from The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity and The Fleuron VII, 1928 Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner.  [Physick 554] smudge of ink in image

8. Spray of Seven Leaves and Four Curls [and] Man holding Curl of Spray, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929. Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 565 and 566] some damage to paper in left margins

9. Initial letter N, The Tale of Melibeus, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929. Inscribed ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 593];

10. Leda Waiting, from Leda, 1929 Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 616];

11. Fig Leaf, from Leda, 1929 Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 615];

12. Initial letter W, The Tale of Sir Topas, from The Canterbury Tales, 1929 Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner. [Physick 590] sheet slightly spotted, printed on mulberry paper.

13. [Two marionettes suspended amid advertising hoardings], [unidentified, not in Physick.]; Inscribed  ‘To Meg’ by Gill in pencil in lower right corner.

14. The Kiss of Judas, from Passio Domini Nostri Jesus Christi, 1926, inscribed by Gill ’15/15 EG’   [Physick 315];

15. Belle Sauvage III, from Art Nonsense and Other Essays, 1929, inscribed by Gill ‘8/10 Eric Gill’  [Physick 622];

16. Ecce tu pulchra es, from Canticum Canticorum, 1929, variant state overprinted in blue with a second woodblock, inscribed by Gill ‘2/12 Eric G’ [Physick 614: not used ]

Book Size 32 x21cm (12.5 x 8.25 inches)

Item details

Provenance: Property of an English collector. Possibly purchased from Antiquarian book seller and thriller writer George Frederick Robert Sims. A unique item.