MALLARMÉ (Stéphane). - Lot 67

MALLARMÉ (Stéphane). Les Dieux antiques. Nouvelle mythologie illustrée d'après George W. Cox et les travaux de la science moderne à l'usage des lycées, pensionnats, écoles et des gens du monde. Paris: J. Rothschild, 1880. - In-8, black half-maroquin, ribbed spine, red head, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved (20th century binding). First edition of Stéphane Mallarmé's translation, or rather adaptation, as a teacher at the Lycée Fontanes (now Lycée Condorcet) of an English textbook by George W. Cox. Mallarmé considered this work to be "the only school textbook on mythology in existence in France at the time". He included poems by two masters of contemporary poetry: Leconte de Lisle and Théodore de Banville. The edition is illustrated with 260 woodcut vignettes of statues, bas-reliefs, medals and cameos. A good copy. Some minor wear and very rare foxing. Provenance: M. Nicolle, art historian and curator of the Musée de Rouen, with his signature on the first white endpaper and on the cover. Also by the same author: - VERS ET PROSE. Morceaux choisis. With a portrait by James M. N. Whistler. Paris: Perrin et Cie, 1893. -In-18, dark blue half-maroquin with corners, ribbed spine, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved (Canape). First edition, partly original, of this selection of poems, illustrated with a portrait of the author on chine collé, lithographed by James Mc Neill Whistler. A copy of the current edition, very well bound by Canape. Cracking at the hinge of the first cover.