THE BOOK OF JOB: Illustrated with Fifty Engravings from Drawings by John Gilbert, and with Explanatory Notes & Poetical Parallels.

London: James Nisbet and Co., 1857. Hardcover. Sir John Gilbert (1817-97) was an English Romantic painter and illustrator of literary classics, especially remembered for his woodcut illustrations for the works of Shakespeare (1858–60) and Scott. Printed by R. & R. Clark: Edinburgh, and bound by Leighton, Son & Hodge: London with that firm's ticket to the rear pastedown. Octavo: xxx, [7]-188, [1, ads], [1, blank] pp. with 50 illustrations, all wood engravings by Dalziel Brothers, J.W. Whymper, and W.L. Thomas, after John Gilbert. In the publisher's purple irregular-grain cloth binding, with beveled boards; an orientalist design with gilt-stamped ornamental borders, floral spandrels, and pointed oval ornamental surround, blind-stamped floral ornamental field, and gilt-stamped eight-lobed floral and strapwork device with circular medallion on the front and rear panels; and gilt-stamped ornamental borders, floral head and tail, floral and strapwork ornamental surround for oval panel with titling on the spine. All edges gilt, with lavender endpapers. Just a hint of foxing to the prefatory and concluding leaves. Period gift inscription (1859) to the front flyleaf, with the heraldic bookplate of Lt. Colonel T. Gardner on the front pastedown. Minor edgewear to the boards; else an exquisite example. Goldman 25. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin. Very good. Item #79305

Price: $300.00