Casquette

1718 · 190125 — London: Published by Authority of the War Office by Country Life Limited and George Newnes Limited 1917-18. First edition first impression. The Edition de Luxe was limited to 50 sets with each of the 60 lithographic proofs signed by Muirhead Bone in pencil and with his embossed monogram. In 1916 William Rothenstein a friend of Bone and a fellow member of the Society of Twelve proposed that an artist should be sent to the front to record the War Bone was chosen for the task. He arrived in August 1916 at the height of the Somme Offensive and toured the Southern battle-fields working rapidly in various media - pencil pen charcoal and chalk - sending back over 150 finished drawings by October. "He recorded mostly life behind the lines illustrating the settings for war rather than battle scenes - the work of the medical services encampments soldiers of duty soldiers marching landscapes and ruined towns. The detail and accuracy of Bone's drawings provided an authentic eyewitness record of the immense logistic efforts of the Somme one that proved immensely popular and resulted in more artists being commissioned." IWM Somme web-site. Bone has been described as one of the greatest British draughtsmen and the composition of these "masterly lithographs" DNB is a clear confirmation of that judgement. Folio approximately 530 x 395 mm. 6 light card fascicules each containing a loose contents leaf and 10 signed proof lithographic prints. Housed in a black cloth solander box. Total 60 plates. Wrappers of parts split to spines front wrapper detached edges nicked and frayed. Some edges of plates browned or a little dusty plate xvii with a repaired tear to the right margin plate li with small chip to lower margin and small tear to left margin lix and lx with creasing and small tears to left margin. Overall a good copy. hardcover