Evolution and Innovation 1870-1920
The Modern Artist’s Book has its origins in France in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War. Artists like Manet rejected the mass-produced and often poorly printed books of the era in which a predominance of text was occasionally relieved by different illustrations. Instead, in volumes like Manet’s Le Fleuve (1874), the book was carefully designed to combine text and images in a sympathetic and unified whole. This revolution in book design spread throughout Europe and to America, reflecting the particular aesthetic sensibilities of each nation. The twenty-six books in this gallery display the rapid evolution of artists’ book design during the period and the innovative use of graphic techniques, typography, binding and scale.
Der Letzte Akt
"Der Letzte Akt: Eine That - Le Dernier Acte," plate 7, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Gleichheit!
"Gleichheit! - Egalite!," plate 8, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Drei Würfel
"Drei Würfel: Pest - Cholera - Typhus - Trois dés: La Pester - le Choléra - Le Typhus," plate 9, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Der Letzte Sprung des Todes
"Der Letzte Sprung des Todes (Ein Meteor) - Le Dernier bond de la Mort (un Météore )," plate 10, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Die Augenhöhle des Pessimisten
"Die Augenhöhle des Pessimisten - Un pessimiste (L'orbite de l'oeil)," plate 11, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
