Homer's Iliad
London: George Routledge and Sons, 1887. Limited edition of 500 numbered copies, of which this is No. 483. Quarto, xi, 387 pages, bound in the publisher's original gilt-decorated blue cloth-covered boards. Top edge gilt. Illustrated with 24 heliogravure plates after designs by Henri Motte. One of the great achievements of English Renaissance literature, George Chapman's translation of Homer's *Iliad* is celebrated for its vigorous language, dramatic intensity, and poetic grandeur. Chapman (c. 1559–1634), an English poet and dramatist, was among the earliest translators to render Homer's epic into English verse, producing a work that profoundly influenced subsequent generations of writers. His translation was particularly admired by John Keats, who commemorated his discovery of Chapman's Homer in the celebrated sonnet *On First Looking into Chapman's Homer*. This handsome Victorian edition is enhanced by illustrations after designs by the French historical painter Henri-Paul Motte (1846–1922), whose dramatic compositions vividly depict the heroes, battles, and legendary events of the Trojan War. A notable production combining a landmark English translation of classical literature with the artistry of late nineteenth-century book illustration. Fraying to the spine, with the backstrip nearly detached, some rubbing and wear, corners bumped, else in good + condition. Item #698
Price: $250.00