Clever Bill.

[London:] William Heinemann Ltd,, [1926]. A superb association copy of one of "the few perfect picture books ever created" First edition, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed by the artist on the front pastedown "For Mrs Howard, From Mabel Low and From William Nicholson" (in which "For" and "From" are printed). The inscription dates from around the time that Nicholson was having an affair with Mabel Low's daughter, Diana Low (1911-1975). Mabel Low was the wife of Vincent Warren Low (1867-1942), an influential surgeon who had served in the Boer War before working at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington. He would later serve as President of the Royal Society of Medicine. Nicholson would paint portraits of several of Mabel and Vincent Low's children and Diana Low would paint a portrait of Nicholson. Diana Low's brother-in-law, Humphrey Spender, gave an account of Nicholson's affair, in which he stated that the parents "were great friends with Sir William Nicholson, really great friends, to the extent that their young and very pretty daughter was told nothing was better for her than to go and have lessons in painting from William Nicholson... Nicholson, who was an extremely sexy man... immediately fell in love with Di, and when she, when he was sixty-eight, and she was seventeen, maybe he was sixty-four, and she was seventeen, bewitched Di and they started an affair... the parents never knew, and went on loving William Nicholson and loving their daughter. It was incredible that they didn't ever know". Sanford Schwartz in his study of Nicholson notes that "Clever Bill... has been called 'Among the few perfect picture books ever created'" and states that, together with The Pirate Twins, they will "probably always please adults as much as children, not only for their sly witty details and dry humor but for the nimble way the stories are paced out". Oblong folio. Original pictorial boards, front and rear covers lettered in red and black. With dust jacket. Cover designs, pictorial pastedowns, one pictorial free endpaper, and 21 full-page illustrations in colour by William Nicholson. Extremities a little worn, short closed tear to front joint, some foxing to endpapers, crease to rear pastedown; dust jacket foxed and toned, extremities worn with some small loss and closed tears, small abrasion to front panel; a bright and very good copy in a good jacket. Campbell 185; Andy Friend and Alan Powers, Ravilious & Co., 2017; Sanford Schwartz, William Nicholson, 2004.