M. S. Watts — George Frederic Watts

London, Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1912. First edition. Cloth. The first edition of Mary Fraser Taylor's touching biography on her husband, an illustrated set uncommon to see in the original dust wrappers. The first edition.Complete in three volumes.In the original unclipped dust wrappers.An insightful biography on the life and career of noted Symbolist painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts. Volumes I and II comprise of Watts' life, Volume III his writings.Watts is famous for saying "I paint ideas, not things", showing his association with the Symbolist movement. Volume I is illustrated with a frontispiece, and six plates. Three pages of adverts to the rear. Collated, complete.Volume II is illustrated with a frontispiece, and nine plates. Collated, complete. Volume III is illustrated with a frontispiece, and twenty-one plates. Two pages of adverts to the rear. Collated, complete.Written by the artists' second wife, Mary Fraser Taylor, who was likewise associated with the symbolist as a designer and craftswoman, as well as being a noted social reformer. In the original publisher's cloth binding, in the original unclipped dust wrappers. Externally, smart, with only a few small marks to the boards and spines. Spines are very lightly faded. Minor bumping to the extremities of Volume II. Front hinge of Volume III is starting but firm. The occasional spot to the endpapers of Volume III. Light edge wear to the dust wrappers, concentrated to the head of the spines, where edge wear has results in some small chips and closed tears. Smaller wear to the tail of the spines. A few light marks to the wraps. Closed tear to the front wrap of Volume III. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean. Near Fine . Ill.: Various. Near Fine/Very Good.