Lovely Art Nouveau design of this wonderfully illustrated book, with 100 colour plates painted by Menpes This is the first and better of their two books illustrated by Menpes on the Queen of the Adriatic, the later one only included 75 of his colour plates. In this exquisite gem Dorothy Menpes provides a written memoir of the unique city of Venice to accompany her father’s 100 gorgeous oils and watercolours. The illustrations by Mortimer Menpes include street scenes, portraits of workers & children, gardens and landscapes accompanied with text by daughter Dorothy. After serving as an illustrator during the Boar War; Menpes travelled widely, visiting Burma, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Japan, Kashmir, Mexico, Morocco, and Spain. Many of his paintings were published in various travel books by Adam and Charles Black, but none are so beautiful a collection of paintings, subject and writings with love as VENICE. Item Description A fascinating travel classic book in the original cloth bindings. The book is wonderfully illustrated with 100 striking full page colour plates, captioned on the tissue guards by Mortimer Menpes (Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855 – 1938), was an Australian-born British painter, author, printmaker and illustrator). With text by Dorothy Menpes. Published by Adam and Charles Black, London (1906). Publisher’s original blue boards, decorated in a fancy Art Nouveau style all over the upper cover and spine in gilt and pale-blue-white featuring floral urns or fountains, multi-ruled and decorated borders and gilt emblems of the Menpes. Top page edges gilt. Book Dimensions: 23 x 17 x 4.5 cm & Number of Pages: 222 + 4 pages of publishers’ books Condition Firm and well bound copy. Some wear to boards’ corners, and edges, with slight tear to head of spine. Internally the book is in good condition. No names or inscriptions. All pages are tightly held at the gutter. Inner hinges are very good. Light foxing marks pages throughout. The text is fresh. All plates are present and bright (Please see pictures).