SCHALLER, Charlotte.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

En Guerre! First edition, deluxe issue, inscribed by the author on the half-title, "A mon èditeur Mr R. Steinheil, en hommage, Ch[arlotte] Schaller". This deluxe copy is specially produced on Japanese vellum, presumably for presentation.As managing director of Berger-Levrault, Robert Steinheil issued many illustrated children's books during the Great War. Berger-Levrault was the official printer of the French and Belgian governments during the First World War and was one of the largest and most technically sophisticated publishing houses of this period in French history. Their contemporary company business card is loosely inserted.En Guerre! is the first book illustrated by Charlotte Schaller and shows a childlike reimagining of the war during its earliest stages. Toy planes and rocking horses provide a sense of wonder to distract from grim reality: a German boot comes crashing from the sky upon Belgian stick figures in a depiction of the battle of Liège, while a game of skittles decides the fate of the First Battle of the Marne. The colourful illustrations are made using the pochoir technique of hand-colouring through stencils. The effect is particularly vivid upon the Japanese vellum of this deluxe copy, where the more easily discernible brushstrokes lend an added richness and vibrancy compared to the more typically seen issue on ordinary paper.

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