SONG CELESTIAL OR BHAGAVAD GITA, E. Arnold, Illust, WILLY POGANY, 1st/1st 1934

  THE SONG CELESTIAL or Bhagavad Gita: Being A Discourse Between Arjuna, Prince Of India, And The Supreme Being Under The Form Of Krishna. Translated from the Sanskrit Text by Sir Edwin Arnold. Illustrated by Willy Pogany ~ First Edition, 1934

 Publisher: David McKay Co., Philadelphia (1934)

In overall excellent condition. Scarce, first edition, first printing of "The Song Celestial or Bhagavad Gita" by Sir Edwin Arnold, illustrated by Willy Pogany, from 1934. This beautiful book features black cloth boards stamped in silver, with a large illustrated cover label and 18 full-page black and white plates, reproducing artwork by Willy Pogany, with all works signed in plate. The boards and binding are solid and tight with very little shelf-wear. The pages and Pogany's lithographs are crisp and clean, save for a few spots of very light staining to the second blank page. No interior markings. A gorgeous book. Please see below for a brief summary of Willy Pogany!

Willy Pogany

He is best known for his pen and ink drawings of myths and fables. A large portion of Pogany's work is described as Art Nouveau. Pogany's artistic style is heavily fairy-tale orientated and often feature motifs of mythical animals such as nymphs and pixies. He paid great attention to botanical details. He used dreamy and warm pastel scenes with watercolors, oil paintings, and especially pen and ink. Painstakingly detailed and confident, Pogany's pen and ink pieces portray the true extant of his talent.