A Bibliography of First Editions of Books Illustrated by Walter Crane.

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Cloth-backed boards, 8vo, 57, [3] pp, frontispiece portrait. 125 entries. From the preface: "This Bibliography of Books illustrated by Walter Crane, compiled by Miss Gertrude C.E.Massé, deals with a long period of production, namely, from 1863 to 1915 - During these fifty-two years the range of his artistic production was constantly enlarging. It would be difficult to name any branch of decorative art that did not bear flowers of Walter Crane's design - yet he found both time and inspiration to continue his yearly output of book illustration throughout all this span of active life. He sought a design; an ordered spacing; a pattern of graphic forms that would adorn the story to be illustrated. Balance. Weight of incidence (black against white). Intricacy. Firm line. Dotted line. Line shading, and Dot shading - such were the cards with which he graphically conjured in book illustration - and if colour was added he used it primarily as space contrast. Expressive line he emphasised by colour, and counter-changed the leading colours of his scheme - the result was gay, decorative, and instantly legible. Walter Crane at his best was masterly in his management of economy of means to produce a lavish result. The human Form, Architecture, Landscape, Animals, Birds, Trees, Flowers, Heraldry, Lettering, were compelled by his wand of graphic fantasy, and transformed by his linear representation into patterns and arrangements of beautiful line, relieved by calculated stops, by contrast or incidence." Bookplate of the eminent bibliographer Theodore Besterman on front pastedown endpaper, slightly rubbed and top edge duststained, otherwise Good in a duststained dustwrapper which is edgeworn with minor loss. N° de ref. del artículo ABE-38490

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