BOOK LIMITED EDITION ILLUSTRATED FOLIOS OF CHAUCER'S CANTERBURY TALES Published in parts, 1983-1986 with illustrations by Charles Mozley A special limited edition publication of eight of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales commissioned by John Deuss, an American of Dutch ancestry, and intended to be issued leading up to the commemoration of the 600th anniversay of Chaucer's death in 1990. The Tales are presented in four folios of unbound sheets (59 x 84 cm sheets, folded once) each printed on one side only; each folio holding two Tales, each Tale with an illustrated wrapper (being The Prologue, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Shipman's Tale, The Summoner's Tale, The Clerk's Tale, The Miller's Tale and The Reeve's Tale). The texts on English hand-made paper taken from the Neville Coghill translations and almost all pages, with letterpress and filmset text, are lavishly illustrated with about 250 original lithograph drawings, many full or double page, by the late Charles Mozley (1914-1991), the well-known English artist and illustrator, prepared over a ten-year period (the lithographic plates were destroyed after printing each Tale) and published in parts; each folio signed by the artist and numbered (these here all numbered 130); with the original cardboard storage box and an illustrated retail sales brochure (offering copies at £1,400 per set). Folio 1, Prologue (double fp./title; 3-58), Wife of Bath (title; 3-76 [1983]); Folio 2, Miller (fp./title; 1-60 [1984]), Reeve (fp.; 2-30); Folio 3, Merchant (fp./title; 3-76 [1985]), Shipman (fp,; 2-36); Folio 4, Summoner (fp./title; 3-80), Clerk (double fp./title; 2-80, end [1986]). 25 Kg total, 59 x 42 cm (folio size). (23 1/4 x 16 1/2"). As published, minor marks to folio exteriors; internally as new. Number 15 of only 256 sets extant (of 1,000 originally printed). [4] Provenance Property of a gentleman; published at Westerham (Folio 1) and by Pennington Fine Lithographers, London, 1983-1986. Footnotes This ambitious project was the largest book illustration commission undertaken by Charles Mozley and he devoted ten years to it; sadly, he died before the entire collection of Canterbury Tales could be finished. The eight Tales produced are lavish editions with many full-sheet and full-page lithographic illustrations and with most text pages including smaller images. All of the images evoke the atmosphere and much of the bawdiness of medieval life, pilgrimage, and of Chaucer's verse.The disastrous loss of about three quarters of the entire printing is described in the accompanying sales brochure, resulting in the survival of only 256 full sets of the 1,000 originally printed (one set has been lodged with the British Library, London, and some are believed to have been presented to other institutions). Mozley's technique was to draw directly onto the lithographic films and his illustrations show his masterful characterisations.
BOOK LIMITED EDITION ILLUSTRATED FOLIOS OF CHAUCER'S CANTERBURY TALES Published in parts, 1983-1986 with illustrations by Charles Mozley A special limited edition publication of eight of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales commissioned by John Deuss, an American of Dutch ancestry, and intended to be issued leading up to the commemoration of the 600th anniversay of Chaucer's death in 1990. The Tales are presented in four folios of unbound sheets (59 x 84 cm sheets, folded once) each printed on one side only; each folio holding two Tales, each Tale with an illustrated wrapper (being The Prologue, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Shipman's Tale, The Summoner's Tale, The Clerk's Tale, The Miller's Tale and The Reeve's Tale). The texts on English hand-made paper taken from the Neville Coghill translations and almost all pages, with letterpress and filmset text, are lavishly illustrated with about 250 original lithograph drawings, many full or double page, by the late Charles Mozley (1914-1991), the well-known English artist and illustrator, prepared over a ten-year period (the lithographic plates were destroyed after printing each Tale) and published in parts; each folio signed by the artist and numbered (these here all numbered 130); with the original cardboard storage box and an illustrated retail sales brochure (offering copies at £1,400 per set). Folio 1, Prologue (double fp./title; 3-58), Wife of Bath (title; 3-76 [1983]); Folio 2, Miller (fp./title; 1-60 [1984]), Reeve (fp.; 2-30); Folio 3, Merchant (fp./title; 3-76 [1985]), Shipman (fp,; 2-36); Folio 4, Summoner (fp./title; 3-80), Clerk (double fp./title; 2-80, end [1986]). 25 Kg total, 59 x 42 cm (folio size). (23 1/4 x 16 1/2"). As published, minor marks to folio exteriors; internally as new. Number 15 of only 256 sets extant (of 1,000 originally printed). [4] Provenance Property of a gentleman; published at Westerham (Folio 1) and by Pennington Fine Lithographers, London, 1983-1986. Footnotes This ambitious project was the largest book illustration commission undertaken by Charles Mozley and he devoted ten years to it; sadly, he died before the entire collection of Canterbury Tales could be finished. The eight Tales produced are lavish editions with many full-sheet and full-page lithographic illustrations and with most text pages including smaller images. All of the images evoke the atmosphere and much of the bawdiness of medieval life, pilgrimage, and of Chaucer's verse.The disastrous loss of about three quarters of the entire printing is described in the accompanying sales brochure, resulting in the survival of only 256 full sets of the 1,000 originally printed (one set has been lodged with the British Library, London, and some are believed to have been presented to other institutions). Mozley's technique was to draw directly onto the lithographic films and his illustrations show his masterful characterisations.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
