Publisher/Manufacturer: Gwasg Gregynog (Gregynog Press) Series title: The Romance of Parzival and the Holy Grail (plate 3)
1936 Wood engraving in black on white wove paper
299 x 250 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'. This print combines two consecutive scenes from the story
Book illustration for the Arthurian legend 'Parzival'; foreground, woodland with ferns, plants and the boy Parzival, wearing a tunic, a belt and a plumed hat, killing birds in a tree with a bow and arrows; background, tree trunks, five birds in flight from a tree, a medieval king? with a hunting hawk / falcon and a group of seven archers. Engraved in fine detail in a symbolist / fantasy style with gravers of varied widths