Friedrich Nietzsche - Ecce Homo. Wie man wird – Was man ist - 1908

Ecce Homo. Wie man wird – Was man ist – Friedrich Nietzsche

Leipzig: Insel-Verlag, undated [1908]. 154, [3] pages. 24.4cm x 19.2cm. Quarter vellum binding with grey boards, gilt decoration and the front cover, gilt lettered spine, gilt top edge, and olive- coloured endpapers. First edition of Nietzsche’s profound posthumous autobiography, exceptionally designed by Henry van de Velde. Limited edition of 1,250 copies, this being No. 268 of 1,100 numbered copies printed on premium Van Gelder hand-made paper Printed in gold and black. Featuring a magnificent illustrated double title page, decorative borders, and typographic ornaments by Henry van de Velde. One of the most stunning masterpieces of early 20th-century German book art. Written during a feverish burst of creativity late in 1888 just months before his mental collapse, Ecce Homo serves as Nietzsche’s brilliant, hyper-confident retrospective on his life and works. The book was withheld from the public for two decades by his sister Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, finally appearing in 1908 under the commission of the Nietzsche-Archive. Henry van de Velde, a devout admirer of the philosopher, oversaw the book's entire layout and ornamentation, utilizing a revolutionary Art Nouveau geometric aesthetic that perfectly mirrors the intense, prophetic energy of the text.
Rubbing, bumping, wear, and some damage to the boards and spine. The spine is split at both hinges at both ends. There is a tear in the spine at the top (see photos). Pencil markings on the front pastedown endpaper, the verso of the front free endpaper the recto of the front flyleaf, the recto of the engraved title page, and on the back endpapers. Pencil and pen markings throughout, some of the pen markings are smudged. The text is clear and the binding is solid. Overall, a copy in fair condition.