Brother of the Birds; A Little History of Saint Francis of Assisi
Philadelphia: David Mckay Company, 1929. Quarto (11 1/8 inches tall), original blue cloth, gilt spine and front board. Gilt bright, faint toning to spine, slight bumping to upper corners, mild offsetting from plates, ink inscription to blank flyleaf. A near-fine copy. Item #1320
"CHILDREN, THIS IS THE STORY OF A MAN WHO, MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE WHO EVER WALKED THE EARTH, WAS LIKE HIS FRIEND AND MASTER JESUS"
First edition of this Life of Saint Francis—illustrated with mounted quarto plates by Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel. An important illustrated edition for a Franciscan collection.
Designed for older children, this "Little History" is divided into 23 short chapters along the lines of the Little Flowers. Boutet de Monvel—perhaps best-known for his illustrations of Joan of Arc—prepared 22 tinted plates, which were separately printed and tipped to the page. "Boutet de Monvel's full-page illustrations have a nobility and grandeur akin to the great church frescoes of the Renaissance. Their pleasingly flat rendering combined with a sophisticated use of design elements...owe a debt to the Japanese prints so popular in the artist's day" (Selma G. Lanes). Without scarce original dust jacket. Selma G. Lanes. Through the Looking Glass: Further Adventures and Misadventures in the Realm of Children's Literature.
Price: $50.00