[Gawan and the Lion at the Castle of Marvels]

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'. In Gawan's [Gawain's] quest to find the Wonder Bed, he encounters and kills the lion at the Castle of Marvels. The exaggerated size of the lion serves to present its wildness, ferocity and the heroic nature of Gawan in his ability to slay the beast. Mrozewski also focuses upon details such as the long corridors through which Gawan [Gawain] has ventured, and the boorish man who released the lion upon him