Venice; The Lion and the Peacock, Laurence Scarfe, 1952

Venice: The Lion and the Peacock by Laurence Scarfe is a reflective account of the city, combining elements of travel writing, history, and visual observation. Rather than offering a structured guide, Scarfe focuses on impressions gathered through walking and sketching, noting architectural details, artworks, and everyday scenes. The book touches on Venice’s cultural past and its lingering presence in the post-war period, presented through the lens of an artist rather than a historian – all illustrated by the author's engaging drawings.

Venice; The Lion and the Peacock, by Laurence Scarfe.

Published by Robert Hale, London. 1952 first edition.

A very good red cloth hardback with gilt cover design and gilt titles to spine. With some wear and bumping. Housed in a good, unclipped original dustjacket, now protected in removable clear plastic sleeve. Jacket with age toning and spine a little darkened. Some fraying to extremities, and a couple of old tape strengthening repairs to head and tail of spine on reverse. All soundly bound.

Text is bright and clean throughout, and illustrated throughout by 45 drawings by the author. An attractive volume.

Text in English.

x + 285pp.

Dimensions: approximately 254mm  x 167mm x 24mm.

Weight: Approximately 806g (unpacked).