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**
Splendid and rare illustrated album from the 19th century titled “Zie daar!”, work by Alexander V. H., a remarkable set of satirical and moral plates engraved in lithography.
The work presents itself in its spectacular cobalt blue publisher’s hardcover binding, richly blind-stamped and adorned with gilded titles in a neo-Gothic style.
The second cover is decorated with a gilded allegorical composition representing an winged figure armed with a scythe, a moral symbol evoking human vanity and the passage of time — a characteristic iconography of 19th-century social satire.
The lithographed title page 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 substantial 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, of which the complete list appears in the table “Volgorde der platen van den bundel”.
The themes addressed are numerous: human life and its stages, social illusions, bourgeois morality, satire of human behaviors, fate and moral conscience.
The whole is part of the great tradition of European satirical cycles inspired by Hogarth, blending humor, social critique and moral meditation.
The plates present highly 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 of great technical finesse.
Some plates are particularly remarkable, notably, “De Visch en de Mensch”, a grand satirical composition about fishing and the human condition,
“Het Geweten”, a dramatic scene illustrating guilt and moral conscience, various scenes of manners mixing humor and psychological observation.
The quality of the drawing and the finesse of the line testify to lithographic work of excellent workmanship, 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 cartonage, blind-stamped decoration, gilded titles,
rich ornamental frame, second cover with a large gilded symbolic motif.
A particularly elegant and decorative presentation, very representative of Dutch publisher productions of the 19th century.
Good overall condition for a work of this type,
sturdy binding with normal signs of wear,
light foxing in places, 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 testimony of 19th-century social satire, bibliophilic, thanks to its spectacular decorative binding.
Satirical illustrated albums of this era, especially complete and in decorated publisher bindings, are increasingly sought after by collectors of illustrated books and moral iconography.
A decorative and bibliophilic piece remarkable, ideal for a collector of European 19th-century satirical illustration or an enthusiast of early lithographed works.
The photos are an integral part of the description.
Expédition Chronopost or equivalent depending on the country with insurance.