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.

Some Trout

Poetry on Trout and Angling by various Authors (Devon: Chevington Press, 20th Century)

Les Chats

Les Chats (Cats) by Champfleury (Paris: J. Rothschild, 1870).

Horse in Motion

Horse in Motion by J. D. B. Stillman (Boston: James R. Osgood and Col, 1882)

Cecil Lawson: A Memoir

Cecil Lawson: A Memoir by Edmund W. Gosse (London: The Fine Art Society, 1883)

La Damnation de l’artiste

La Damnation de l'artiste (The Damnation of the Artist) by Iwan Gilkin (Brussels: Edmond Deman, 1890).

The Innovation Gallery

Self portrait of Edouard Manet, from WikiMedia

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