Couperus geïllustreerd

This article offers a survey of the few but diverse illustrations that were made for Couperus’s short stories and novels from 1891 (Elsevier’s Geïllustreerd Maandschrift) to the writer’s death. In the eighteen-nineties and first decade of the twentieth century general ideas on book illustration in Holland were in a process of considerable change. By focusing on the various interpretations the article demonstrates how personally and how diversely illustrators and artists treated Couperus’s sensuous texts and leave their mark on them. The first professional illustrators worked in a naturalistic way and tried to support the narrative; later illustrations became more fashionable and personal. This article deals with the illustrations among others for ‘Eene illuzie’ by F.H. Kaemmerer, for ‘Epiloog’ by Pieter de Josselin de Jong, for Majesteit by W.F.A.I. Vaarzon Morel and the various illustrated versions of Psyche.