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.
Charfreitag - Abendläuten
"Charfreitag - Abendläuten - L'Angelus du Venfredi - Saint - ," plate 12, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Christus vom Tode mit Lorbeer Bekrönt
"Christus vom Tode mit Lorbeer Bekrönt - Le Christ Couronné par la Mort," plate 13, in the book Ein Moderner Todtentanz (Berlin: J. A. Stargardt, 1894)
Egypt and Palestine vol 1
Egypt and Palestine, 2 vols, by Francis Frith (London: James S. Virtue, late 19th Century); volume I of II.
Egypt and Palestine vol 2
Egypt and Palestine, 2 vols, by Francis Frith (London: James S. Virtue, late 19th Century); volume II of II.
