At the close of the 19th century, Wagner's opera "Tristan" opened in Paris. Many French were horrified by what they perceived as the German appropriation of what they considered "their" story. A leading medievalist, Joseph Bédier, set out to reconstruct the primordial, French version of the Tristan and Isolde story, and publisher Henri Piazza convinced Robert Engels to illustrate it. The result is one of the truly great art nouveau illustrated books. This is the first edition of both the text and the illustrations, which have been reprinted countless times in smaller formats and with inferior techniques. The hand-coloured illustrations transform every page into a marvel of design. Beautifully printed on thick handmade Vosges wove paper watermarked "Tristan et Iseut." The edition is limited to 300 numbered copies (this example is #121). Large folio. Uncut in elegant full vellum binding, pink leather spine label. FINE AND BRIGHT, both inside and out, with the colours are very fresh. RARE in such good condition. This work is adapted from a famous 12th century Romance / Tragedy, told through French medieval poetry, between Tristan, a Cornish Knight, and Iseute, an Irish Princess. Aft r defeating the Irish knight Morholt, Tristan goes to Ireland to bring back the fair Iseult for his uncle King Mark to marry. Alo g the way, they ingest a love potion which causes the pair to fall madly (adulterously) in love. Although Iseult marries Mark, she and Tristan are forced by the potion to seek one another as lovers. The king's advisors repeatedly try to have the pair tried for adultery, but again and again, the couple use trickery to preserve their façade of innocence. Tristan, King Mark, and Iseult all hold love for each other. Tristan honors, respects, and loves King Mark as his mentor and adopted father; Iseult is grateful that Mark is kind to her, and Mark loves Tristan as his son and Iseut as a wife. But every night, they each have horrible dreams about the future. Tristan's uncle eventually learns of the affair and seeks to entrap his nephew and his bride. Mark gets what seems proof of their guilt and resolves to punish them: Tristan by hanging and Iseult by burning on the stake. Tristan escapes on his way to the gallows by a miraculous leap from a chapel and rescues Iseut. The lovers flee into the forest of Morrois and take shelter there until they are discovered by Mark. They make peace with Mark after Tristan agrees to return Iseult to Mark and leave the country and travel to Brittany, where he marries (for her name and her beauty) Iseult of the White Hands, daughter of Hoel of Brittany and sister of Sir Kahedin. Coloured plates in order: 1. Half-title. 2. Limited edition number and illustration for this work. 3. Title-page. 4. Illustration for 'Premiere Partie.' 5. Tristan and Iseut on board ship. 6. Chapter header of a Viking longboat and a coloured initial letter 'S.' p.1 7. Rohalt and his Queen. p.2 8. Young Tristan learning to use a Bow and Arrow. p.3 9. Boat at Sea. p.4 10. Cor ish Forest. p.5 11. Tintagel Castle. p.6 12. Adolescent Tristan. p.7 13. Border decoration to a page of text. p.8 14. Barons assembled, listening to music with their King. p.9 15. A Golden Ring is brought before the King. 16. Tintagel castle. 17. Border decoration to a page of text. 18. Coloured initial letter 'Q' & an illustration of a Royal, set in text. 19. Tristan getting off the boat after landing in Ireland. 20. Tristan, attended by handmaidens. 21. Dancing Girls. 22. The Death Mask of Morholt. 23. Tristan on board a boat. 24. Mark, meeting with four of his barons. Col ured initial letter' S.' 25. King Mark looks at two birds who have flown into his chamber. 26. Supplies being loaded onto a boat. 27. Longboat, off the Irish coast. 28. Tristan, seeking the whereabouts of the lovely Iseut. 29. Tristan, and party, riding across the countryside. 30. Tristan fighting a Dragon. 31. Tristan standing by the newly slain Dragon. 32. Iseut and Maid. 33. Border decoration to a page of text. 34. The Niece of the murdered Morholt, seeks (his) revenge on Tristan. 35. The Niece wrapping a Dagger in a piece of cloth. 36. Three Knights. 37. Iseut kneels before her father the King. 38. Lady with the (love) potion & coloured initial letter 'Q'. 39. A maiden with the potion in a vase. 40. Princess Iseut at sea. 41. Iseul kneels, with her head in her hands, in great torment. 42. King Mark welcomes Isuet ashore & coloured initial letter 'L'. 43. The Kings Barons welcome Iseut. 44. Border decoration to a page of text. 45. Border decoration to a page of text. 46. Tristan and Mark. 47. Pond by a tree in a garden. 48. Tristan looks forlorn in the grounds of the Castle. 49. Tristan meets Isuet under tree. 50. Kind Mark spies upon the lovers, from above, in a tree. 51. Tristan and Isuet in the Woods. 52. Border decoration to a page of text. 53. A Wintry Scene. 54. Mark and his Barons & the Initial letter 'L'. 55. Froin, the Dwarf. 56. As above. 57. Mark watching some royal entertainment. 58. Border decoration to a page of text. 59. Tristan, appears before Isuet, bound by the wrists. 60. Knight on Horseback. 61. The King address a crowd of his subjects. 62. The rocky, landscape of Cornwall. 63-64. Tristan cries out to his Master. 65. Iseut is brought before the King, bound by the wrists. 66. Iseut looks consigned to her fate...burnt by fire, at the stake. 67. Border decoration to a page of text. 68. Cornish countryside. 69. Bow and Arrows being concealed in a Forest by Gorvenal. 70. Coloured initial letter 'A' & The Forest of Morrois. 71. Isuet seeks repentance from an old man. 72. Tristan and Isuet walking in the Forest. 73. Tristan and Isuet look at feeding birds on the forest floor. 74. Gor enal hangs a dead man's head on the branch of a tree. 75. The dead man's head appears to talk to Tristan. 76. King Mark learns of the whereabouts of Tristan & Isuet. 77. King Mark travels to the Forest of Morois. 78. King Mark discovers their hideaway, deep in the forest. 79. Mark enters the hideaway and discovers the lovers fast asleep. 80. The Hermit Ogrin & a coloured initial letter 'A'. 81. Border decoration to a page of text. 82. Tristan and Isuet talk together in the Forest. 83. Tristan and Isuet begin the journey back to the King's Court. 84. Border decoration to a page of text. 85. Tristan and Isuet ride through the countryside. 86. Illustration to 'Deuxieme Partie'. 87. Tristan and Isuet. 88. Coloured initial letter 'M' & King listening to a scribe reading a letter to him. 89. Border decoration to a page of text. 90. Tristan and Isuet in a lovers embrace. 91. An old man leads a horse through a town. 92. Tri tan and Isuet on horseback. 93-94. The King rides out to meet the lovers. 95. A crowd rushing through the streets. 96. Coloured initial letter 'B' & the King on horseback with three Knights. 97. The King deep in thought. 98. The King with his Queen. 99. Knights of Cornwall assembled, perhaps to say 'farewell' to Tristan? 100. Men at Arms, the King and hi Queen. 101. The Queen carried over a stream. 102. Squires and Gentlemen seen with oars and gaffes. 103. The Queen spreads her hands and arms over a fire smoke....seeking a judgement? 104. Coloured initial letter 'Q' & Tristan getting dressed. 105-106. Fight between a pale, bearded giant and a Knight with a sword and shield. 107. The Queen of Ireland looking mischievous. 108. Coloured initial letter 'L' & Tristan, and party travelling in Brittany. 109. Knights at the walls of Tintagel Castle. 110. Two Cornish soldiers speak to each other on the castle ramparts. 111. Border decoration to a page of text. 112. Isuet with White Hands and a lady seated. 113. Armed soldiers in a Forest. 114. A battle is joined! 115. A victorious Knight stands over his vanquished victim, on the ground, at his feet. 116. Hoen of Brittany, the father of Isuet aux 'Blanche Mains' and Tristan. 117. Tristan and his new wife; Isuet aux 'Blanche Mains' and Tristan. 118. Coloured initial letter 'E' & Isuet is playing a Harp. 119. Karrado informs Isuet that: "Tristan, your friend is lost to you". As ariado leaves the chamber, Isuet, bows her head and begins crying. 120. Tristan is seen languishing in the Brittany countryside, longing for his Isuet. 121. A ship sailing between Brittany and Cornwall, taking Tristan back home. 122. Tristan, now disguised as a monk, with a cross shaved into his hair, approached an armed guard at a gate at Tintagel Castle. 123. Tristan, in his new disguise, is mocked and jeered. 124. Tristan sits before Queen Isuet and King Marc. 125. Tristan declares himself. 126. Queen Iseut is shocked, the King tries to calm her. 127. The Queen retires to her bed chamber with her sister, Bragien. 128. Bratien talks to Tristan. 129. Tristan talks with Isuet. 130. Border decoration to a page of text. 131. Tristan. 132. Illustration to 'Troisieme Partie'. 134. The Queen walks within the Castle and speaks with people there. 135. Coloured initial letter 'Q'. & Tristan, who fell into an ambush, was wounded by a poisoned spear. [** Tristan is mortally wounded by Mark, who treacherously strikes Tristan with a poisoned lance while the latter is playing a harp for Iseut**] 136. Queen Isuet. 137. Kahardin and Tristan. 138. Border decoration to a page of text. 139. Longboat at sea. 140. The Queen is seen removing her rings. 141. Tristan, looking weak, and frail, is seen lying on a Litter, looking out to sea. 142. Longboat out a sea. 143. Tristan, near death, is surrounded by companions at his bedside. 144. The Queen rushes to Tristan's death bed. 145. Isuet aux 'Blanches Mains' is discovered by Queen Isuet crying over the loss of Tristan. 146. Tomb in a Chapel. 147. Queen Isuet lovingly caresses the face of her dead lover. 148. Border decoration to a list of 'Collaborateurs' for the book. 149. Story end-piece illustration. 150. Border decoration to the specific 'Limited Edition' numbers for this work. 151. Small border illustration to book Printer's information. 152. Final end-piece illustration.