PIPER, John. ~ Brighton Aquatints. Twelve original aquatints of modern Brighton with short descriptions by the artist and an introduction by Lord Alfred Douglas.
One of only 200 copies. 12 aquatints by John Piper, with the original tissue guards. Text printed on blue paper. Large oblong folio, in the original red cloth backed marbled paper covered boards with printed label on the upper cover. Some rubbing and a little bumping to the boards, contemporary ownership inscription to the title, otherwise an unusually bright and fresh copy housed in a fine cloth clamshell box with morocco and gilt labels to spine and upper cover.
The introduction is by Lord Alfred Douglas who lived in Brighton at that time. Each image has a short but fully felt description by the artist. Gilmour rightly describes Piper’s prints as “sublimely graduated aquatints ranging from pale grey to deepest black, with a grain almost amounting to minute crazing due to the largeness of the dusted resin...’The Pavilion’ bubbles like milk, ‘St Bartholomew’ loom blunt and dark...’From the Station Yard’ the town stretches away beyond St Peters in rhythmic patterns of back-to-back housing” p. 87, Artists at Curwen.