Van Maele, Martin Lot n° 806

VAN MAELE, Martin Collection of 16 unpublished drawings for "Là-bas" by J.K. Huysmans. [C. 1900] In-f°: [16] ff, ± 25 x 16 cm, graphite and India ink on Arches wove paper mounted on cream wove paper backing, captioned in French in graphite below the image, top right page reference for placement in the book. Red post Basane, cold-stamped fillets and gilded greek script around the boards, smooth spine similarly decorated. Illustrations mostly erotic and/or satanistic, some in the vein of those done for Jules Michelet's "La sorcière", by M. Van Maele, pseud. of Maurice Martin (1863-1926), a French illustrator and engraver specializing in sulphurous books. The first illustrated editions of "Là-bas" (orig.: 1891) date from the 1920s and are the work of H. Chapront and F. Hertenberger. Prov. "D" (ex-eroticis).