The Way of the Cross; Text of the Devotion Traditional in the Catholic Church
Garden City, New York: Country Life Press, 1927. Limited edition. Contemporary full red morocco (7 5/8 inches tall), gilt titles to ruled boards and spine with raised bands, blind-stamped cruciform, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a matching morocco-tipped, brown cloth slipcase. Fine. Item #1394
"JESUS, MOCKED, BEATEN AND SPAT UPON, IS TAKEN BEFORE PILATE AND CONDEMNED TO THE DEATH OF THE CROSS"
First American edition of The Way of the Cross—with 14 illustrations marking Eric Gill's first major triumph as a Catholic—in an exceptional contemporary Cruciform binding and matching slipcase.
Eric Gill converted to Catholicism in 1913—the same year he was approached by the architect-in-charge of London's Westminster Cathedral about sculpting the Stations of the Cross for the nascent Mother Church of the English Catholics. "For the next four years Gill was principally engaged in carving the fourteen panels called Stations of the Cross for Westminster Cathedral, the work which put him definitely in the front rank of contemporary English sculptors" (Donald Attwater). After four year's work, Gill's designs for the limestone panels in the Cathedral were completed in the spring of 1918, just in time for the dedication on Good Friday.
Echoing Gill's sculpted designs, the Way of the Cross was first printed in December 1917 by Gill's fellow convert, Hilary Douglas Clark Pepler at Ditchling. St. Dominic's Press. Prefaced by the Stabat Mater Dolorosa, these 14 wood-engravings (P93-P106)—marking the "Progress of Our Lord Jesus Christ from the Judgement Hall to Calvary as traditionally venerated by the Catholic Church"—are printed in Latin & English and captioned with the antiphon Adoramus Te ("We Adore Thee"). St. Dominic's Press printed a second (1918), and three additional editions from 1920-1926. This first American edition was printed in a limited edition of only 350 copies and includes an additional illustration—Agnes Redemit Oves (P92)—on the title page. Originally issued in card covers and paper wraps, this custom (unsigned) binding is bound with 10 additional blank pages. Approbations. Skelton. Eric Gill: The Engravings (P93-P106); Taylor & Sewell A23e, Evan Gill 268, Attwater. Eric Gill: Workman.
Price: $850.00