H. G. Fell’s cover design for ‘The Song of Solomon’ (original) (raw)

Cloth binding for ‘The Song of Solomon’

Herbert Granville Fell (1872–1951)

1897

Cloth binding gilt

Signed

This imposing design exemplifies Fell’s intermingling of Arts and Crafts, Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau styles. The paired figures are typical of the artist’s otherworldly treatment of female beauty, an approach that recalls the Pre-Raphaelite ‘stunners’ painted by D. G. Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones. [Commentary continues below.]

Scan and text by Simon Cooke [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

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