(BOX PICTURED FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY - NOT SUPPLIED)
| The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590 with a second installment in 1596. It is notable as the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English language. The poem can be read and interpreted in several ways, including as praise of Queen Elizabeth I. In a completely allegorical context, the poem follows several knights in an examination of several virtues. Spenser stated that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in allegorical devices," and that its aim was to “fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.” The Faerie Queene found such favour with Elizabeth I that Spenser was granted a pension for life amounting to fifty pounds a year, though there is no evidence that she read any of the poem! This royal patronage helped the poem along to such a level of success that it became Spenser's defining work. The 1895-97 publication of The Faerie Queene, illustrated by Walter Crane, is one of the most beautiful works of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Limited to 1,000 numbered copies, this is a lavish facsimile of a piece of publishing history. Walter Crane was already a well-established illustrator, artist and wood-engraver when he embarked on his most ambitious project. He produced 97 large illustrations and 137 illustrative head and tailpieces, as well as overseeing the production of these large, beautifully printed books. Included here on this unique disc are all six volumes reproduced in PDF format from high resolution scans.
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Includes the following:
Book I
16 full page illustrations, 22 head & tail pieces,
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Book II
18 full page illustrations, 22 head & tail pieces
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Book III 18 full page illustrations, 24 head & tail pieces
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Book IV 13 full page illustrations, 21 head & tail pieces
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Book V
14 full page illustrations, 24 head & tail pieces
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Book VI
18 full page illustrations, 24 head & tail pieces
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PLUS
Also included on the disc are the following additional rare books:
Stories From the Faerie Queene – Mary Macleod (1905)
Features 51 full page illustrations by Arthur George Walker
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Plus many other smaller / part page illustrations
The Gateway to Spenser. Tales Retold by Emily Underdown from "The Faerie Queene" of Edmund Spenser (1913)
Features 16 coloured plates and numerous marginal illustrations by F C Pape
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+ + PLUS + +
Also included are all illustrated pages from the Faerie Queene series in JPEG format. These high quality images have an average approximate size of 3100 x 4100 pixels with a resolution of 400 dots per inch.
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