The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1910)

 

Illustrated by Willy Pogány

 

 

 

 

On the left, we show a rare copy of the Willy Pogány illustrative interpretation of the Colleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The 1st Edition was published by Geroge G Harrap & Co Ltd (London) and Thomas Y Crowell and Co. (New York) in 1910.

 

This example retains one of the original decorative variant bindings

that accompanied the 1st Edition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the right, we show Pogány's decorative Title Page.

 

 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge is a seminal work in English literature, being among a number of

contemporaneous works that have been identified as defining the modern age of poetry - in addition to the beginning

of British Romantic literature. The tale recounts the adventures of a mariner during a long and treacherous voyage -

and ultimately, his fate, which is to wander the earth and telling his story to teach the following lesson to those who

listen:

He prayeth best, who loveth best

All thing both great and small;

For the dear God who loveth us,

He mad and loveth all.

 

Pogány's lavish treatment of Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1910) was published the year after his first

magnificent interpreation of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám and the year before the first of what is a trilogy considered

to be his masterworks, Tannhäuser. His designs and illustrations for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner included 20 full

colour illustrations, designs for the Title and Half-Title pages in the style of medieval illuminated manuscripts, decorative

borders throughout, illuminated scripts and numerous marginal illustrations.

 

 

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Prints

 

 

For connoisseurs of Pogány's work, we have prepared sets of 20 Greeting Cards displaying each of Pogány's colour images for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and on the left, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards appear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code: WP RAM CS(20)
Price: US$100.00

 

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in hommage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished, with the image presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. On the rear of each card

we also present some information about Willy Pogány and the profiled illustration. We have left the interior of the

cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

 

Each of our large format reproductions are prepared with archival quality materials and processes to ensure many

years of enjoyment. In addition, our reproductions are accompanied by explanatory material relating to Willy Pogány

and the profiled illustration.

 

To purchase, simply click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button and you will be taken through to our Shopping Cart

secured through PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any

destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

 

Of course, should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

 

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful examples of the art of Willy Pogány.

 

 

The colour illustrations

 

It is an ancient Mariner,

And he stoppeth one of three.

"By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,

Now wherefore stopp'st though me?"

 

 

The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,

Merrily we did drop

Below the kirk, below the hill,

Below the light-house top.

 

 

And now the Storm-Blast Came, and he

Was tyrannous and strong:

He struck with o'ertaking wings,

And chased us south along.

 

 

In mist or cloud, on mast and shroud

It perched for vespers nine;

Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,

Glimmered the white moon-shine.

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C1 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C2 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C3 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C4 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

 

 

About, about, in reel and rout,

The death-fires danced at night;

The water, like a witch's oils,

Burnt green, and blue, and white.

See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!

Hither to work us weal;

Without a breeze, without a tide,

She steadies with upright keel!

 

Her lips were red, her looks were free,

Her locks were yellow as gold:

Her skin was white as leprosy,

The Nightmare Life-In-Death was she,

Who thicks man's blood with cold.

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C5 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C6 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C7 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C8 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The souls did from their bodies fly, -

They fled to bliss or woe!

And every soul, it passed me by,

Like the whizz of my cross-bow!

 

 

The many men, so beautiful!

And they all dead did lie:

And a thousand thousand slimy things

Lived on: and so did I.

 

 

Beyond the shadow of the ship,

I watched the water-snakes:

They moved in tracks of shining white

And when they reared, the elfish light

Fell off in hoary flakes.

 

 

The helmsman steered, the ship moved on;

Yet never a breeze up blew;

The mariners all 'gan to work the ropes,

Where they were wont to do;

They raised their limbs like lifeless tools -

We were a ghastly crew.

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C9 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C10 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C11 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C12 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Around, around, flew each sweet sound,

Then darted to the Sun;

Slowly the sounds came back again,

Now mixed, now one by one.

 

 

Under the keel nine fathoms deep,

From land of mist and snow,

The spirit slid: and it was he

That made the ship to go.

All stood together on the deck,

For a charnel-dungeon fitter:

All fixed on me their stony eyes,

That in the Moon did glitter.

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,

So smoothly it was strewn!

And on the bay the moonlight lay

And shadow of the Moon.

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C13 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C14 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C15 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C16 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Pilot and the Pilot's boy,

I heard them coming fast:

Dear Lord in Heaven! it was a joy

The dead men could not blast.

 

 

Brown skeletons of leaves that lag

My forest-brook along:

When the ivy-tod is heavy with snow,

And the owlet whoops to the wolf below,

That eats the she-wolf's young.

 

 

What loud uproar bursts from that door!

The Wedding-guests are there:

But in the garden-bower the bride

And bride-maids singing are.

To walk together to the kirk,

And all together pray,

While each to his great Father bends,

Old men, and babes, and loving friends,

And youths and maidens gay!

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C17 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C18 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C19 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: WP RAM C20 12x18
Price: US$60.00