Publisher/Manufacturer: Gwasg Gregynog (Gregynog Press) Series title: The Romance of Parzival and the Holy Grail (plate 4)
1936 Wood engraving in black on white wove paper
299 x 249 mm. Loan: Gregynog, Davies sisters 1989
Proof taken from the original wood block at Gregynog in 1936. From a set of twelve illustrations for Wolfram von Eschenbach's (d. c.1230) narrative poem 'Parzival'. The blocks for the illustrations were engraved by Mrozewski between September 1933 and June 1934 whilst living in Amsterdam. They were never published in his lifetime. In 1990 Gwasg Gregynog published 'The Romance of Parzival and the Holy Grail', designed by David Esslemont and with an introduction by Carl Lofmark. This proof was reproduced - by offset lithography at Westerham Press, Kent - for one of the illustrations. The volume was published in an edition of 210 at £240. Ten of these had a special binding by James Brockman. Eschenbach's poem was the inspiration behind Richard Wagner's 'Parsival'. Here Mrozewski conceives Parzival defeating Kingrun from the perspective of the defeated man; the unease exaggerated by the slanted angles of the city walls and the victor's horse towering above the battered Kingrun. It suggests also the disorientation of the defeated in such violent battles
Book illustration for the Arthurian legend 'Parzival'; foreground, the medieval knight Parzival?, wearing a cape, holds a sword to the chest of the defeated Kingrun who wears an armoured tunic, a belt, chainmail, a helmet, spurs and a dagger; middleground, a horse with a decorated mane, a lance and shield on the ground, and a riderless horse with stirrups; background; soldiers with spears and shields behind the castellated walls and gateway of Pelrapeire Castle. Engraved in fine detail in a symbolist / fantasy style with gravers of varied widths