THE WORD ACCOMPLISHED
1974. Edition of 75
35 X 25 X 6.5cm.

Sixteen extracts from the book by A.B.Christopher, first published in 1954 (Philosophical Library, New York). This limited edition was edited, designed, illustrated with etchings and hand-printed by Natalie d'Arbeloff.

18 double leaves plus title wrapper, held in drop-back box with quarter leather spine and Ivory Vellum cover, deeply embossed from etched plates. Seventeen etchings printed by the viscosity method (several colours from one plate). Hand-set text in 18pt Garamond, printed by NdA on Barcham Green mould-made paper on an ancient Eagle hand press at the World's End Press, London.

A spiritual meditation, in words that could be an apocryphal New Testament but also belong in the tradition of sacred texts of all religions.

The author of The Word Accomplished was my father, Alexander d'Arbeloff, using the pseudonym A.B.Christopher. While his life was filled with many achievements in various fields, this unsung book was the closest to his heart. Those who have discovered it have felt the same.

A paperback facsimile was published in 1983. To see details, go to this page .

 

Plate XIII Deep etching & aquatint.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Victoria & Albert Museum, National Art Library
National Library Australia
Biblioteca Nazionale, Rome
Museum of the Book, The Hague
Library of Congress, Wash.D.C.
Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection
Bridwell Library, Dallas, Texas
Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, Austin, Texas
Stanford University, California
Tutt Library, Colorado College
Butler Library, Columbia University
Kohler Library, Madison, Wisconsin
Spencer Collection, N.Y.Public Library
Mugar Library, Boston University
Margaret Clapp Library, Wellesley College
Massachusetts. Houghton Library, Harvard
Newberry Library, Chicago
Firestone Library, Princeton

Plate VI from The Word Accomplished.
Deep etching and aquatint.

Do not blame your brother for an unloving action.
Try to cancel it by performing a loving action in its place.

Do not preach moral priciples: sow only deeds of love.
From there, all the rest will follow as if by enchantment.

Seek no more when love is accomplished, for there is no more to seek.

Go to another place where love is still imprisoned
and deliver it to the holder of the key.

 

Copyright © Natalie d'Arbeloff & A.B.Christopher 1974/2003