Five Must See Modern French Bindings

by Stephen J. Gertz

FRESNAYE, Roger de la (artist). RIMBAUD, Arthur. Les illuminations.
Paris: H. Matarasso, 1949
Woodcuts, letterpress.

Binding by Georges Leroux (1922-1999), 1951.
Black morocco with overlays of yellow leather,
inlays of ivory leather, gold- and black-tooling,
gold-stamped lettering; gilt edges.

VIDAL, Pierre (artist). LOUYS, Pierre. Les aventures du roi Pausole.
Paris: A. Blaizit, 1906.
Hand-colored lithographs; letterpress.

Binding by Charles Septier (f. 1933-58), c. 1950.
Dark yellow morocco with inlays of red and green leather,
gold-tooling, gold-stamped lettering, raised spine bands; gilt edges.

BONNARD, Pierre (artist). VERLAINE, Paul. Parallèlement.
Paris: Ambroise Vollard, 1900.
Lithographs in rose ink, wood engravings, and letterpress.

Binding by Jacques Anthoine-Legrain (1907-c. 1970), date unknown.
Dark red morocco with inlays of cream and gray morocco,
gold- and silver-tooling, gold-stamped lettering; gilt edges.

MIRÓ, Joan (artist). Éluard, Paul. A toute épreuve.
Geneva: Gérald Cramer, 1958
Color and black and white woodcuts, collagraphs, and collage; letterpress.

Binding by Henri Mercher (1912-1976),  c. 1959.
Black morocco with inlays of gray leather, white-tooling,
white-stamped lettering; gilt edges.

SCHMIED, François-Louis (artist). MARDUS, J.C. Le paradis musulman.
Paris: F-L Schmied, 1930.
32 woodcuts in black and white and color and one printed a third time in color.

Binding by Henri Noulac (1866 - 1931), 1930.
Tan leather with color-leather inlays; slip case: speckled paper slip case
and cover guard edged in leather.

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Images courtesy of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, with our thanks.
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