Alexander Ver Huell - Zie daar! - 1878

Alexander V. H. — See there!
Suite of satirical and moral plates – Arnhem, P. Gouda Quint / Is. An. Nijhoff en Zoon – 19th century**
Superb and rare illustrated album of the 19th century entitled “Zie daar!”, work by Alexander V. H., a remarkable collection of satirical and moral lithographs carved in stone.
The work is presented in its spectacular cobalt blue publisher’s binder, richly blind-stamped and adorned with gilded titles in a neo-Gothic style.
The second cover features a golden allegorical composition depicting an armed winged figure with a scythe, a moral symbol evoking human vanity and the passage of time — characteristic imagery of 19th-century social satire.
The title page lithographed announces,
“Zie daar! — Schetsen uit de portefeuille van Alexander V.H. — Nieuwe Uitgave”
Printed in Arnhem, by P. Gouda Quint Firma Is. An. Nijhoff en Zoon.
This album gathers a significant series of lithographed plates accompanied by an introductory text entitled “Een woord tusschenbeiden”.
The plates develop a true moral and philosophical narrative, organized into 48 scenes, whose complete list appears in the table “Volgorde der platen van den bundel”.
The themes are multiple: human life and its stages, social illusions, bourgeois morality, the satire of human behaviors, fate and moral conscience.
All of this belongs to the great tradition of European satirical cycles inspired by Hogarth, blending humor, social critique and moral meditation.
The plates present very elaborate compositions, often allegorical, narrative scenes illustrating the different stages of life, symbolic compositions featuring death, conscience and human destiny, humorous and satirical scenes of 19th-century society, drawings with great graphic finesse.
Some plates are particularly remarkable, notably “De Visch en de Mensch”, a large satirical composition about fishing and the human condition,
“Het Geweten”, dramatic scene illustrating guilt and moral conscience, various scenes of manners mixing humor and psychological observation.
The quality of the drawing and the fineness of the line testify to lithographic work of excellent craftsmanship, typical of Dutch artistic productions of the 19th century.
The work includes an old ex-libris “El Boekenogen”, indicating its belonging to a private library.
Original publisher’s binding, deep blue cardboard, blind-stamped decoration, gilded titles,
rich ornamental framing, second cover with a large symbolic golden motif.
A particularly elegant and decorative presentation, very representative of Dutch publisher productions of the 19th century.
Good overall condition for a book of this kind,
solid binding with normal signs of use,
slight foxing, interior well preserved, plates clean and well printed.
Complete album and well preserved.
This work presents a triple interest,
artistic, for the quality of the lithographs
historical, as a witness to 19th-century social satire, bibliophilic, thanks to its spectacular decorative binding.
Illustrated satirical albums from this era, especially complete and with decorative publisher’s bindings, are today increasingly sought after by collectors of illustrated books and moral iconography.
A decorative and bibliophilic piece remarkable, ideal for a collector of European satirical illustration of the 19th century or an enthusiast of old lithographed works.
The photos are an integral part of the description.
Expedition Chronopost or other depending on country with insurance.