The Paradise lost of Milton; with illustrations by John Martin by [John Martin] MILTON, John (1608-1674) - 1853

London: Printed for Henry Washbourne & Co. 25, Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, 1853. Early Reprint. Morocco. Near Fine+. Handsomely bound edition of Milton's great epic poem, with John Martin's evocative, atmospheric mezzotints, "without doubt one of the most significant series of British book illustrations ever to have been produced" (Campbell) and "one of the great publishing enterprises of the [Romantic] age." (Ray) 4to: [8],373,[3]pp, with 24 full-page, tissue-guarded mezzotint engravings (including frontispiece), by John Martin, originally designed for the octavo edition of 1827. (According to Lowndes, the plates were retouched for this and the first Washbourne edition, of 1849.) Full contemporary black morocco, covers elaborately framed in gilt, spines richly gilt in six compartments, gilt lettering direct to the second, all edges gilt. Provenance: signatures of A. Thomas, 1856, and A. W. Thomas, 1873, to title page; steel-engraved book plate (dated 1889) of John Frederick Nankivell, Ilfracombe Hotel, North Devon, to front fly leaf. An excellent copy, barring prominent tide marks to versos of frontispiece and first two plates, lightly transferred to rectos. But pages and remaining plates clean and bright with only occasional marginal foxing. A quite uncommon edition: Copac records only two copies (Cambridge, Oxford), OCLC adds one other (Berlin). Lowndes 1560. Allibone, p. 1300. Ray, 69A. Campbell, John Martin, Visionary Printmaker, pp. 38-41. In 1823, Martin was commissioned by a little known American publisher named Septimus Prowett to illustrate Milton's Paradise Lost. Before Martin had even completed the suite of 24 engravings, Prowett commissioned a second set on smaller plates. First published in two two-volume editions, imperial quarto (the large plates) and tall imperial octavo (the small), in 1827, with six more formats appearing through 1853. "The apocalyptic romanticism of [Martin's] conceptions had many sources: the monumental buildings of London, the engravings of Piranesi, published volumes of eastern views, even incandescent gas, coalpit accidents, and Brunel's newly constructed Thames Tunnel. The resulting illustrations may be heterogeneous, but they are also unforgettable" (Ray) Adds Campbell: "The greatest significance of Martin's illustrations, however, was in their spectacular visionary content. Martin laid before his public the spectacular settings of the epic tale, the open voids of the Creation, the vast vaulted caverns of Hell vanishing into the utter blackness of Chaos, the daunting scale of the city of Pandemonium, and the sweeping beauty of Heaven itself. These images have no serious counterpart and are the very essence of the sublime in Romantic art." (Campbell). N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.