belgium

An atmospheric series of watercoloured prints of the German-controlled Dutch-Belgian border in 1915 by a Belgian artist in exile in Holland. Issued in very small numbers (perhaps no more than 20 copies), it is marked ‘Série 1’, but no more were produced. Some of the images show the high-voltage electric fence erected by the Germans in 1915 to put an end to clandestine cross-border traffic between Holland and Belgium. On Belgian territory, the fence ran from the German border, from just behind Vaals (Limbourg) all the way to the Belgian coast. The Elektrische Grenzabsperrungszaun claimed many lives though smugglers soon refined their methods and the border was never completely sealed.
Willems had studied in England (notably the watercolours of Turner) but was at home with his family in Belgium when war broke out, fleeing to Holland in 1914, where these remarkable and evocative prints were produced and published the following year.

First edition, falsely dated 1914 to evade the censorship of the German occupying forces in Belgium and actually issued in 1918. A beautiful illustrated study of the iconography of the ancient Flemish versions of the game of lotto, including the symbolism of the playing cards. Max Elskamp (1862-1931) was one of the outstanding Belgian poets, notable for applying himself to every stage of book production, from the artistic direction to the finished product: writing, designing the layout, choosing the paper and typeface, page layout, illustration (often from his own woodcuts, as here) and printing. His books appeared in small print runs, as here. This is one of 300 regular copies (after 50 on Arches paper).