why the devil came you between us?

♱ Nosferatu (2024) dir. Robert Eggers ♱

+ bonus

WITCHES' SABBATH Part 1

“You don’t believe in anything.”

Shakespeare Weekend

This weekend we look at Shakespeare’s first tragedy, Titus Andronicus the thirty-third volume of the thirty-seven volume The Comedies Histories & Tragedies of William Shakespeare, published by the Limited Editions Club (LEC) from 1939-1940. The play was written between 1588 and 1593 and published three times in quarto before being included in the 1623 First Folio. Known as Shakespeare’s most violent and bloody play, Titus Andronicus was met with criticism throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries before regaining interest in the 20th century, culminating in Julie Taymor's quirky 1999 film adaptation Titus. Nevertheless, the play is still regarded as one of Shakespeare's most reviled plays. 

Nikolai Fyodorovich Lapshin (1891-1942) illustrated the LEC’s edition of Titus Andronicus with his fresco-esque paintings. Lapshin was born in St. Petersburg and was a member of the Leningrad Union of Artists and was known for his watercolor landscapes and numerous children's book illustrations. His muddied scenes depicted throughout Titus Andronicus wonderfully capture the dolor and violence of the play set against a Roman landscape. To preserve Lapshin’s bold brush strokes and nuanced layers, LEC reproduced his images for the publication through chromolithography. The resulting depth and drama of the illustrations perfectly assist readers in imagining the grisly tragedies of the play. 

The volume was printed in an edition of 1950 copies at the Press of A. Colish. Each of the LEC volumes of Shakespeare’s works are illustrated by a different artist, but the unifying factor is that all volumes were designed by famed book and type designer Bruce Rogers and edited by the British theatre professional and Shakespeare specialist Herbert Farjeon. Our copy is number 1113, the number for long-standing LEC member Austin Fredric Lutter of Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

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