1921 Rare First Edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham - Comus by John Milton

A beautiful and complete first edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1921) of John Milton's Comus, featuring 24 magnificent colour plates, numerous imaginative pen-and-ink drawings, and an exceptionally charming original green cloth binding decorated in gilt with fantastical creatures.

Author: John Milton. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Title: Comus.
Publisher: London: William Heinemann; New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1921.
Edition: First Edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham, 1921.
Language: English.
Pages: xviii, 76 pages.
Size: 10 x 7.5 inches.
Binding: Very good original green cloth binding, beautifully decorated in gilt with a procession of fantastical creatures above the title on the front cover. Gilt lettering and ornamental decoration to the spine. Delightful pale blue endpapers featuring white silhouettes of dancing woodland spirits. Light rubbing to the extremities and spine edges, with some fading to the spine and minor signs of age and handling. The gilt decoration remains attractive, and the binding is firm and well preserved. Protected in a removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good and complete. The pages are generally clean and well preserved, with occasional scattered foxing, light age-toning, and some offsetting associated with the colour plates. A small crease is present at the lower right corner of the colour frontispiece. A clean, tight, and attractive copy overall.
Illustrations: Complete with all 24 magnificent colour plates by Arthur Rackham, each accompanied by its original captioned tissue guard, together with numerous pen-and-ink illustrations, decorative headings, and ornamental designs throughout the text. The colour frontispiece depicts the daughters of Hesperus dancing beneath the golden tree.

Estimate: USD $350–400.

The book: Published in 1921, this first edition of John Milton's Comus illustrated by Arthur Rackham represents a remarkable meeting of one of England's greatest poets and one of the most celebrated illustrators of the Golden Age of book illustration. Originally performed at Ludlow Castle in 1634, Milton's poetic masque unfolds in an enchanted forest, where a young Lady becomes separated from her brothers and encounters Comus, a seductive enchanter who attempts to overcome her virtue through temptation and illusion. Combining classical mythology, pastoral poetry, supernatural enchantment, and philosophical reflection, the work explores innocence, moral freedom, and the triumph of virtue over deception.

Rackham's extraordinary artistic interpretation brings Milton's enchanted world vividly to life through 24 richly atmospheric colour plates and a wealth of expressive pen-and-ink illustrations. Dancing nymphs, woodland spirits, grotesque creatures, mysterious forests, and mythological figures emerge from his delicate lines and subtly coloured compositions. The striking gilt-decorated green cloth binding and pale blue pictorial endpapers, featuring white silhouettes of dancing spirits, further enhance the volume's visual appeal. Complete with all its colour plates and original captioned tissue guards, this attractive first Rackham-illustrated edition is a particularly desirable addition to a collection of illustrated classics, English poetry, or Golden Age illustration.

The author: John Milton (1608–1674) was one of the most important poets in the English language, celebrated above all for his monumental epic Paradise Lost (1667). A scholar, political thinker, and passionate defender of intellectual and religious liberty, Milton combined profound classical learning with an extraordinary command of poetic language. His writings have exercised a lasting influence on English literature and Western intellectual history.

Composed during his early literary career, Comus was first performed in 1634 as a masque for the Earl of Bridgewater's household. The work reveals Milton's youthful mastery of lyrical poetry, dramatic symbolism, and classical mythology. Its enchanted woodland setting, supernatural characters, and exploration of chastity and moral independence make it one of his most imaginative early achievements and an especially compelling subject for an illustrator of Rackham's sensibility.

The illustrator: Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) was among the most influential and beloved illustrators of the Golden Age of British book illustration. Renowned for his intricate pen-and-ink drawings, delicate watercolours, and remarkable ability to evoke the mysterious and supernatural, Rackham created unforgettable illustrations for literary classics and fairy tales, including Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Rip Van Winkle, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. His distinctive artistic vision helped define the visual language of fantasy illustration in the early twentieth century.

In his first illustrated edition of Comus, published in 1921, Rackham found an ideal subject for his fascination with enchanted landscapes, mythological beings, and the interplay between beauty and darkness. His illustrations range from graceful, ethereal figures to mischievous and unsettling creatures, capturing both the lyrical elegance and supernatural tension of Milton's masque. The resulting volume stands as a wonderful example of Rackham's mature artistry and remains especially appealing to collectors of his illustrated books.