Paradise Lost

Bound by Kate Holland using Faircalf

Paradise Lost by John Milton
Miscellaneous Poems; Paradise Regain'd & Samson Agonistes
Illustrated by William Blake
London: Nonesuch Press. 1926. 2 vols. Ltd edn 1450
Bound in 2012

Full fair calf, hand dyed grey, yellow and orange with terracotta goatskin backpared onlay. Top edge rough gilt. Hand sewn silk endbands. Grey leather doublures with terracotta goatskin inlays and gold tooling. Japanese kozo terracotta and grey endpapers.

The design is based on a pair of contrasting photographs by Murray Fredericks of sunrise over Lake Eyre in Australia which appeared in National Geographic magazine. They seemed to reflect perfectly the dichotomy of heaven and hell with the horizon line dividing them. The colours were altered to reflect the greys and terracottas used within the book's interior. The tooled sunburst on the doublures reference the William Blake illustration of God at the Creation in Paradise Lost.

In a private UK collection.

Kate is happy to undertake commissions for design bindings.

For further examples of her work please go to www.katehollandbooks.co.uk and on her Instagram @katehollandbooks.