1902 Rare Book - The Quest of the Holy Grail, A Paraphrase of the Holy Legends

Author: Ferris Greenslet. Illustrated by Edwin Austin Abbey.
Title: The Quest of the Holy Grail: An Interpretation and a Paraphrase of the Holy Legends.
Publisher: Boston, Curtis & Cameron, 1902. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10.5" x 8".
Pages: 78 pages, followed by 25 leaves of plates.
Binding: Very good original rough linen boards, titled in gilt Gothic lettering on the upper cover; upper edge gilt; spine lightly toned with a few minor marks to covers, remaining solid, clean, and attractive under a protective, removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content, internally clean and well-preserved; light toning to endpapers consistent with binder’s glue, otherwise a very fresh and pleasing copy.
Illustrations: Complete with 25 mounted plates, printed in black and white or sepia, reproducing the Boston Public Library Grail frieze by Edwin Austin Abbey.

Estimate: (USD $250–300).

The book: A beautiful, early twentieth-century interpretation of the Arthurian Grail legend, this elegant volume presents Ferris Greenslet’s literary retelling alongside striking reproductions of Edwin Austin Abbey’s celebrated mural cycle for the Boston Public Library. Printed in red and black on fine laid paper and enriched with mounted plates, the book embodies the refined aesthetic of the American Arts and Crafts movement. The combination of scholarly narrative and monumental illustration creates a work both decorative and evocative, bridging medieval romance and turn of the century artistic revival. A particularly desirable example, retaining its original binding and complete suite of plates.

The author: Ferris Greenslet (1875–1959) was an American writer and editor known for his literary interpretations and biographies. His work on the Grail legend reflects a refined attempt to reinterpret medieval sources for a modern audience while preserving their symbolic richness.

The illustrator: Edwin Austin Abbey (1852–1911) was one of the foremost illustrators and mural painters of his time. Commissioned to decorate the Boston Public Library, his Grail series stands among the great achievements of American mural art, blending Pre Raphaelite influence with classical composition. The plates in this volume offer a rare opportunity to experience these monumental works in finely printed form.