-1919 Le Soleil (The Sun)

Masereel’s wordless novel, Le Soleil, was published in German during the 1920s as Die Sonne by Wolff, and much later as The Sun.

1920 in German, Die Sonne (Wolff Limited)

1926/27 in German, Die Sonne (Wolff Trade)

in English, The Sun.

Le Soleil, told in 63 woodcuts, is an allegory where the protagonist (Masereel) attempts to reach the sun. Like the myth of Icarus, he always falls but the moral seems to be as humans we should attempt to reach the unattainable.

Title: Le Soleil: 63 Images dessinées et gravées sur Bois par Frans Masereel
Author and Illustrator: Frans Masereel
Introduction: none
Date of publication: 1919
Publisher: Editions du Sablier
Place of publication: Geneve
Printer: ?
Copyright: Le Sablier
Binding: cover is of very thin card
Dust jacket: Yes, thin paper over the thin cover.
slipcase: ?
Language: French titles, etc
Paginated: unpaginated
Printed: recto
Printed from the original woodcuts.
Description – 451 numbered copies, as follows:
- 17 copies on japan paper hand-numbered from 1 to 17. # 1 includes the sixty three original drawings.
- 4 copies on japan paper – hors commerce – and marked A. B. C. D. All copies on japan paper are signed by the author.
- 30 copies on verge paper ingres of arches numbered in roman numbers from i to xxx. (Note: there is nothing to suggest these copies are to be signed.)
- 400 copies on English voluminous verge (a laid paper) numbered in Arabic numbers from 1 to 400. (Note: there is nothing to suggest these copies are to be signed.)

Le Soleil (the first 51 limited copies)

I have no information about these as to binding, leather, etc. If you have photos or info please advise. Photo credit will be given. wn@wordlessnovels.com