Faust by Goethe from the German by John Huster Illustrated by Harry Clarke Hardcover - 2013

Mineola, New York: Calla Editions, 2013. First Calla Edition published by Calla Editions in 2013 is an unabridged reprint of the limited edition of 1000 originally published by George C. Harrap & Co., Ltd., London in 1925. Larger 7 1/2" x 10 1/4" design. Features powerfully vivid, chiaroscuro illustrations by Harry Clarke. Beautiful deep black full cloth boards, silver cover and spine design, titles, slight shelf wear. Smooth coated heavy stock pages, fine. Pictorial endpapers. Bind fine; hinges intact. Penetrating deep blue on black pictorical dust wrapper w/Harry Clarke imagery front, back panels; protected in new clear sleeve. Classic jacket design depicting Harry Clarke's illustration of of a devil tempting Faust. Fine scarcity in near fine wrapper. Nouveau illustration throughout by Harry Clarke. These were highly influential renderings during the golden age of gift-book illustration in first quarter of twentieth century. Clarke (March 17, 1889-1931) was a famed Irish book illustrator and stained glass artist. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. Translated into English, in the original metres, by Bayard Taylor. The First Part of 'Faust' was first published in its present form in 1808 and the Second Part in 1832. Bayard Taylor's translation w/Parts I and II first appeared in 1932. The Faustian legend has captured the imagination for centuries. In Goethe's Faust, the reader discovers the most famous expression of this old German tale. The classic story of a man who makes the deal with the devil and pays with his soul. The influence of this theme on literature cannot be overstated. Goethe’s masterpiece - and perhaps the greatest work in German literature - Faust has made the legendary German alchemist one of the central myths of the Western world. Faust, an audacious man, boldly wagering with the devil, Mephistopheles, that no magic, sensuality, experience, or knowledge can lead him to a moment he would wish to last forever. Here, in Faust, the tremendous versatility of Goethe’s genius creates some of the most beautiful passages in literature. Here too we experience Goethe’s characteristic humor, the excitement and eroticism of the witches’ Walpurgis Night, and the moving emotion of Gretchen’s tragic fate. 235 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Illus. by Clarke, Harry (Illustrations). 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall. Book.