'the first work of Art Nouveau which can be traced'. 'The first work of Art Nouveau which can be traced' (Pevsner).

Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (1851-1942) was a progressive English architect and designer and pioneer of the Modern Style and global Art Nouveau movement. The German-British art historian Nikolaus Pevsner described the title page of the present work, with foliage twisted into sinuous curves, as 'the first work of art nouveau which can be traced', identifying its main influences as Rossetti and Burne-Jones, and ultimately, through them, William Blake.

This copy is from the collection of English architect and designer Charles Robert Ashbee (1863-1942), a prime mover of the Arts and Crafts movement, and is annotated by him throughout.

An important work, rare in the first issue binding.

First edition in first issue binding; 8vo; engraved frontispiece by G. Allen after drawing by A.H. Mackmurdo, woodcut title page, woodcut headpieces, some letters of first 4pp coloured in blue, yellow, red or green, occasional marginal annotations in pencil by Charles Robert Ashbee, scattered light spotting to fore-edge, some foxing to preliminary and terminal leaves; vellum-backed brown paper-covered boards, title page design repeated on front cover, central device to rear cover, titles to spine in black, some spotting and discolouration to spine, slight edge-wear, else a very good copy, scarce thus.