John Milton; John Martin - Paradise Lost [24 PLATES] - 1827

DESCRIPTION: I present to you at auction the monumental FIRST EDITION OF JOHN MARTIN of: "Paradise Lost" from 1827 published in two volumes by Septimus Prowett. The crowning work that cemented the genius Romantic painter and engraver John Martin.

-> 100% Complete Work: Contains the 24 original mezzotint plates engraved directly by the hand of John Martin.

-> Collectible Rarity: Finding this complete 1827 first edition, preserving its two volumes and the full set of 24 prints without any missing plates, is an authentic rarity in the international bibliophile market. Many copies were disbound over the 19th and 20th centuries to sell their engravings individually.

REVOLUTIONARY TECHNIQUE: JOHN MARTIN'S STEEL MEZZOTINT

John Martin not only designed the scenes, but also engraved the steel plates himself, employing the complex mezzotint technique (smoke engraving).

+ Technical Innovation: Martin was an absolute pioneer in engraving mezzotints directly on steel plates rather than copper, enabling dazzling chiaroscuro contrasts and an unprecedented fineness of line up to that date.

+ Sublime Depth: His deep, velvety blacks and dazzling white light points masterfully capture the apocalyptic, abyssal, and sublime vision of Hell, Chaos, and Creation conceived by John Milton.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE INCLUDED LAMINAS

+ Satan Presiding over Pandemonium / Summoning the Fallen Host:Impressive compositions where Satan rises with wings spread, helmet, spear, and shield above incandescent abysses and gigantic hellish cavities.

+ Satan, Sin and Death: One of the most dramatic and famous scenes of the poem, showing Satan at the gates of Hell with figures filled with anatomical tension and Romantic dynamism.

+ The Meeting of the Angels: Colossal-scale scenes where winged figures of impeccable anatomical design confront each other in cosmic twilight.

ABOUT THE WORK AND ROYAL DEDICATION:

+ The Masterpiece: John Milton's Paradise Lost is the greatest poetic epic of English literature. John Martin’s 1827 vision is universally regarded as the definitive graphical interpretation of the poem alongside those by William Blake (1807) and Gustave Doré (1866).

+ Printed Dedication: Includes the formal dedication leaf dated February 28, 1827 addressed to His Majesty King George IV.

+ Illustrious Imprint Leaf: Stamped at the end by the renowned printer Thomas White (Johnson's Court, Fleet Street) with his iconic typographic engraving and motto "Te favente virbo".

PROVENANCE AND CONTEMPORARY HANDWRITTEN NOTES

Contains valuable signatures and handwritten inscriptions by its original 19th-century owners:
"Margaret Emma Kenyon — May 5th 1828"
"Elizth. Shepherd — 7 The Terrace, Kennington Park"
Singular Female Provenance: It is particularly notable that both ownership marks belong to women of the early Georgian and Victorian era, a detail of great historical value documenting high-culture women bibliophile collecting in 19th-century England.

YEAR OF PUBLICATION: London (England, United Kingdom) 1827. 1st EDITION
LANGUAGE: English (Original Version)
SIZE AND PAGINATION: Dimensions: 29 x 21 cm. Pagination: VOLUME I: [4] + Title + [2] + 228 + [4] pp. VOLUME II: [6] + Title + 218 + [2] pp. COMPLETE WORK WITH THE 24 PLATES.
CONDITION: Full cloth binding with hard cover, generally good condition, with some rubbing and signs of use as shown in photos. Spine flat and leather label with gold letters and motifs. Interior generally in good condition, with occasional rust spots typical of paper composition, as shown in the photos. Slight moth holes at the top of the chapter "Book VI", which do not affect the text, as seen in the images.
RARE AND QUOTED FIRST EDITION. DO NOT MISS IT. NOW OR NEVER.

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*Books will be carefully packed so they travel securely to their new home.