1912 1st Edtn (Thus)/2nd Prnt THE LIFE OF THE BEE By Maurice Maeterlinck Illus. Edmund J. Detmold Very Good

1912 1st Edition (Thus) 2nd Printing, 
THE LIFE OF THE BEE

By Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. He was a leading member of La Jeune Belgique group and his plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement. In later life, Maeterlinck faced credible accusations of plagiarism.

Illustrated By: Edmund J. Detmold
Edward Julius Detmold (21 November 1883 Putney, Wandsworth, Surrey - 1 July 1957 Montgomery) and his twin brother Charles Maurice Detmold (1883-1908) were prolific Victorian and early twentieth century book illustrators. The twins  mastered the techniques of watercolour etching and of colour printing with copper plates, buying a printing press and producing their own proofs at home. In 1898 they compiled a portfolio of colour etchings of animals and flowering plants done in the Japanese style. These were much sought after and were rapidly sold out. They collaborated on the etchings and illustrations for their first book Pictures From Birdland published in 1899. In 1911, Detmold worked on illustrations for Maurice Maeterlinck's The Life of the Bee. Edward Julius became one of the most talented of illustrators, depicting animals and plants with an extraordinary understanding, and making use of fantasy settings of architecture and landscape. He also published three short unillustrated works (two of them issued anonymously), expressing his spiritual beliefs.

Format: Hardcover,
Language: English
Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Published By: George Allen & Co, London

quarto (4to 9+1⁄2 × 12 241 × 305),Pages 235

ISBN:

In an exuberantly poetic work that is less about bees and more about life, Maurice Maeterlinck expresses his philosophy of the human condition. The renowned Belgian poet and dramatist offers brilliant proof in this, his most popular work, that "no living creature, not even man, has achieved in the center of his sphere, what the bee has achieved." From their amazingly intricate feats of architecture to their intrinsic sense of self-sacrifice, Maeterlinck takes a "bee's-eye view" of the most orderly society on Earth. An enthusiastic and expert beekeeper, Maeterlinck did not intend to write a scientific treatise, even though he details such topics as the mathematically accurate construction of the hive, the division of labor among community members, the life of the young queen and her miraculous nuptial flight, and the movement and meaning of the swarm. An enchanting classic by one of the most important figures of world literature in the twentieth century and winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize in Literature, this fascinating study is a magnificent tribute to one of the most orderly communities in the world. It is also filled with humble lessons for the human race.



SKU: BTETM0002203
Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 3Kg