The Waternymph and the Boy. (Fine binding by Paul Delrue) – Roden Noel

Signed copy. Produced in a standard limited edition of 225 copies. This copy is one of an edition of 10 bound in the lacunose style (which involves layering pieces of leather, sanding them down to reveal the layers underneath, then pressing the panel which imparts a sheen to the leather; when pressed, the surface is very smooth to the touch, with interesting pits and furrows below the surface [N.B., from Paul Delrue]) with leathers used in colours of different blues, grey, greens, brown and tan; with swirls of lighter colour reminiscent of water pooling, and white featherstrokes. Bound with French folds with original linocuts by Martin Pitts in brown and white. “Martin Pitts’ name has been associated with The Old Stile Press since the very beginning. He made linocuts for our first book and, since then, a succession of projects with his images has been eagerly awaited and well received by many collectors. The Hon. Roden Noel lived from 1834 to 1894. In this poem he mixes elements of the story of Salmacis & Hermaphroditus from Ovid’s Metamorphoses with memories of moods, settings and atmospheres from his Irish childhood, combining (as John Addington Symonds wrote) full sensuous feeling for the material world with an ever-present sense of the spirit informing it and bringing all its products into vital harmony. This enables him to paint pictures of voluptuous beauty and concrete form… Martin Pitts’ watery images are printed in dark honey-coloured ink on a light honey coloured Ingres paper with amazing reflected light achieved by further blocks printed in white.” (The Old Stile Press) A fine copy in a fine slipcase also designed by Delrue.

Publisher: The Old Stile Press
Date Published: 1997
Publication Place: Monmouthshire

Condition: Fine.
Binding: Hardcover

Dimensions: 4to.