The Book of Pleasure – Austin Osman Spare (Jerusalem Press)

Description

Resplendent with full-page symbolist illustrations representing some of the artist’s most beautiful draughtsmanship. It is also festooned with Spare’s automatic drawings and sigils. This seminal work has established Spare as a unique and formidable figure in twentieth century western magic.

The original 1913 introduction by Ernest H.R. Collings and the 1975 introduction by Kenneth Grant are also reprinted. This edition reprints all the sigils and half-tone illustrations from a particularly fresh and well printed copy of the first edition. Illustrated endpapers and divider pages are overprinted with designs by Spare in silk varnish. The pages are in silk and uncoated paper-stocks.

Spare’s re-worked version of one of the original illustrations is featured, alongside Mr Staley’s eulogy to Kenneth Grant, which examines his relationship with The Book of Pleasure.