Oscar Wilde—Salome. A Tragedy in One Act [ill. Aubrey Beardsley][Warsaw 1914]

Oskar Wilde, Leon Choromański (translation and introduction)/ Salome. A Tragedy in One Act / Warsaw 1914 / Published by Ferdynand Hoesick / period hardcover, half-parchment with gilt lettering on the spine and front cover. Patterned endpapers and colored page edges/ p. 58/ black-and-white illustrations in the text/ very good- condition, slight soiling on the binding in places, a few creases on the page corners

An unsigned period half-parchment binding, with features that allow it to be cautiously attributed to Robert Jahoda’s workshop. This is indicated by the refined simplicity of the composition, the careful combination of the parchment spine and corners with light-colored endpapers, the understated gilt lettering, and the high standard of craftsmanship characteristic of bibliophile bindings of that era.

This Warsaw edition of Oscar Wilde’s one-act tragedy is translated by Leon Choromański, who prefaced the text with his own introduction devoted to the history and significance of the work. The drama, based on the biblical story of Herodias’s daughter, depicts Salome’s obsessive love for the prophet Jokanaan, leading to his death and a tragic conclusion. The publication is adorned with Aubrey Beardsley’s famous illustrations, rendered in a decadent style , which are closely associated with the reception of Wilde’s work and represent one of the most important examples of late-19th-century book illustration.