The Raven. Le Corbeau.

Donkey Press, Köln, 2000

A fine edition of Poe’s The Raven printed in a small limited edition of only 55 copies, of which this is no. 4 of 5 of the signed edition. With 19 original linocuts, each signed by the artist. The text set by hand, in English and French. The English text corresponds to the first edition. The french version follows the original translation by Charles Baudelaire. Finely bound by Roland Meuter.

Description: Black leather backstrip, titled in silver, over special marbled paper covered boards. Housed in a matching black slipcase. Quarto: 33 × 20 cm; unpag.: [20]ll. With 1 linocut frontispiece (portrait of E.A. Poe) and 18 linocuts printed in black an blue. Each linocut signed.

Condition: The slipcase shows light shelf wear, otherwise impeccable. A very attractive, superbly illustrated and beautifully bound edition of this classic.

Notes: Eduard Prüssen (1930–2019) was one of the most important German book illustrators and book artists of his time. He illustrated many works by important authors for major publishers such as Diogenes, Hoffmann und Campe and Piper. From 1962 onwards, Prüssen realised his own book projects with the Donkey Press, in which he could give material form to his artistic and qualitative demands. The printing of Poe’s The Raven can be regarded as the culmination of Prüssen’s artistic work.