THE GARDEN OF DELIGHT

First edition, first printing. Original green cloth with dark green titles to the spine, gilt titles and a dark green illustration to the upper board. Beautifully illustrated with ten black and white plates by Nellie Syrett. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the spine tips a little rubbed and nicked, the board corners slightly bumped. The cloth is clean to the boards and somewhat darkened to the spine. The contents, with a gift inscription to the front pastedown, a couple of short closed tears (lower edge of pages 29 and 219), and the occasional spot or finger mark to the margins are otherwise clean throughout. Scarce.

A striking and unique book of fairy tales written and illustrated by the sisters Netta and Nellie Syrett, who, along with their sister Mabel, were important figures in the late Victorian Aesthetic movement. Through friendships with the Beardsley and Harland families Netta became an early contributor to 'The Yellow Book' periodical for which she wrote three short stories and recruited her sisters as illustrators (who also went on to become regular contributors). Netta was a prolific novelist and is best known as a writer of 'New Woman' fiction featuring intelligent, rebellious heroines who must grapple with the constraints of conservative families and societal norms. The Syrett sisters were frequent collaborators and also resided together in various combinations for significant periods; it has been noted that, reflecting this close relationship, Nellie particularly excels at capturing the beauty of sisterhood and female friendship in her illustrations, perfectly exemplified by her illustration for 'The Garden on the Roof', facing page 145 of this book. In addition to her illustrations, Nellie was also known for her beautiful painted silk fans.