The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Mit zwolf Holzschnitten von Erich Heckel. New York: Ernest Rathenau, 1963. Folio. First Edition Thus. Cloth boards, title and image blocked in black to upper cover. A fine bright copy.

Limited Edition of 600 Numbered Copies.

A striking union of Oscar Wilde’s haunting verse and Erich Heckel’s expressionist woodcuts, originally created in 1907 but only published decades later.

Heckel’s stark, emotionally charged style complements Wilde’s sombre meditation on justice, suffering, and human dignity.

The illustrations—originally made in 1907—were unpublished until this edition, making it a significant moment in the history of literary illustration.