Irene Forbes Mosse / Heinrich Vogeler (illustrations) - Mezzavoce. Gedichte. - 1901-1901

Mezzavoce. Gedichte. - Irene Forbes Mosse / Heinrich Vogeler (illustrations)

Berlin: Verlag von Schuster und Loeffler, 1901. 141, [3] pages. 23.5cm x 16cm. Fir-green full linen binding with black-stamped design and lettering on the cover board and the spine, dark green top edge, and mint-green endpapers. Includes a later custom-made green dust jacket with lettering on the spine. A beautiful, exceptionally fresh first edition of the historic debut work by the celebrated German fin-de-siècle poetess Irene Forbes-Mosse (1864–1946). Granddaughter of the legendary Romantic writer Bettina von Arnim, Forbes-Mosse masterfully bridges the gap between late Romanticism and early 20th-century impressionist verse across these intimate, melodic texts. This cornerstone volume is a premier artifact of the German Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) book arts movement, boasting an extensive visual program designed exclusively by the master artist Heinrich Vogeler (Worpswede). The book features Vogeler's beautifully illustrated binding, title page, 6 striking full-page graphic plate illustrations, and a tail vignette at the end that seamlessly synthesize with the lyrical atmosphere of the poetry.

Only slight rubbing, bumping, wear, and soiling to the boards and spine. Slight discoloration to both endpapers. Pencil markings on page 35 and on the back free and pastedown endpapers. Hardly any browning and spotting throughout, a very fresh and clean copy. The text and illustrations are clear, the paper is crisp, the binding is solid, and the dust jacket is in excellent condition. Overall, an exceptionally well-preserved copy in very good+ condition.