Achim von Arnim / Alfred Kubin (illustrations) - Die Majoratsherren - 1922-1922

Die Majoratsherren – Achim von Arnim / Alfred Kubin (illustrations)

Wien [Vienna] und Leipzig: Avalun-Verlag, 1922. 68, [2], pages. 24.5cm x 18cm. Quarter vellum binding with brown paper-covered boards with an illustration on the cover board, lettered spine, and gilt top edge. Limited and numbered deluxe illustrated edition of Achim von Arnim's gothic novella, this being No.147 of 200 copies issued, signed in pencil by the illustrator Alfred Kubin on the colophon. Published in Vienna and Leipzig in 1922, this exquisite fine-press volume is illustrated with 24 pen-and-ink drawings by Alfred Kubin (including several full-page illustrations). Kubin’s signature eerie, psychological, and phantasmagoric style perfectly mirrors the uncanny atmosphere, ancestral dread, and psychological decay present in Arnim's classic 1820 novella. Printed on premium handmade deckle-edged paper (Büttenpapier) this work represents a peak achievement in early 20th-century German book illustration and expressionist graphic art.

Slight rubbing, bumping, wear, and some discoloration to the boards and spine. Pencil markings on the front pastedown endpaper. Pen inscription on the recto of the front free endpaper. There is some creasing on the bottom margin of pages 20-26, and a small tear in the bottom margin of page 35/36, not affecting the content. The text and illustrations are clear, the paper is crisp, and the binding is solid. Overall, a handsome copy in very good condition.