Arthur Rackham (ill) - The Sleeping Beauty (in rare dustwrapper) - 1920

"The Sleeping Beauty" retold by C.S. Evans and illustrated by Arthur Rackham - William Heinemann, London - 1920 first UK edition - 25cmx18cm - condition: book in about fine condition, in decorated binding, with tipped-in plate of Briar Rose, all Rackham silhouettes present, some two-paged ones, comes with rare dustwrapper with some wear to edges, spit along hinges and loss to spine.

In 1919, C.S. Evans adapted and expanded the beloved and cherished stories of Cinderella and then The Sleeping Beauty in order to give his brilliant illustrator, Arthur Rackham, maximum opportunity to exercise his gifts. The product of their collaboration are two of the most wonderful editions produced of these, or any other, fairy tales. In these 1919 and 1920 printings, Rackham mastered his black and white silhouette style. "Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty differed from Rackham s preceding books in relying almost wholly on silhouette for their effect. It is immediately clear from the collection of images that Rackham is a master of the medium, being able to evoke character and humor by profile and gesture alone and allowing the two-dimensional effect of his pen work to lead the reader through the book and keep the story going." (James Hamilton. Arthur Rackham: A Biography, p. 188)