Arend Fokke - Helicon - 1802-1803

Arend Fokke Simonsz The Modern Helicon, a dream. Second edition. In which is added: Apollo, sergeant of the armed citizenry. Haarlem: François Bohn, 1802. [2]+8+140 pp; 6 outline engravings by Daniël Veelwaard after Jacob Smies Gekartoneerd (verweerd, nieuwere rug met etiket), bibstempels, vochtvlekken Both texts are discourses that Fokke read aloud in 1792 and 1797 in the society ‘Felix Meritis’. In 'The Modern Helicon' he pokes fun at the sentimental rhymers to whom many gave themselves during that time, convinced they were practicing poetry. In 'Ápollo' the language of patriotic poets is the target of his satire. 'The Modern Helicon' was the first discourse in a brisk, humorous style that would remain characteristic of his readings; it is also one of the most successful. The caricatured illustrations by Jacob Smies, well suited to Fokke’s work, were executed by Daniël Veelwaard in a technique that entered the Netherlands at the end of the eighteenth century: the outline engraving. A new edition of De Moderne Helicon appeared in 2010 from the publishing house Vantilt, edited by Lotte Jensen and Alan Moss. ADDED The antique Helicon, containing lives of the Greek poets from Homer to Callimachus Haarlem: François Bohn, 1803 Xii+192 pp, 4 plates; 22.5/13.5 cm New paper cover, fairly clean inside Arend Fokke Simonsz (1755-1812), son of the engraver Simon Fokke, was a prolific writer and a ‘wandering encyclopedia’. He had his own publishing house for a time and was a member of a large number of literary societies. In his publications he proved to be a humorous observer of his time. A collection of his works (12 volumes) was published between 1830 and 1835 in Amsterdam by J.C. van Kesteren.

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