Eugène Grasset, Nouveau Illustrator

Posted by Julie L. Mellby on March 27, 2008 | 1 Comment




Histoire des quatre fils Aymon, très nobles et très vaillans chevaliers [The Story of the Four Sons of Aymon: Noble and Valiant Knights] (Paris: H. Launette, 1883). De luxe edition: 200 copies. Illustrated with watercolor designs by Eugène Grasset (1841-1917) transferred to zinc relief plates and printed in color by Charles Gillot (1853-1903). The binding, by Henri Noulhac (1866-1931), is brown half morocco and marbled boards with gilt filet borders. Graphic Arts Collection (GA) Oversize 2005-0158Q

Eugène Grasset merges decoration and illustration in the designs for his late nineteenth-century books and posters. His borders spill inward, overlapping with the text and vying for the reader’s attention. It took the artist over two years to design 250 unique pages for this Art Nouveau version of the chansons de geste of Charlemagne and the book remains a signifiant moment in the history of the French illustrated book. Other examples of Grasset’s designs can be seen in:

Eugène Grasset. La plante et ses applications ornementales. Paris: Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, [1896?]. Graphic Arts Collection (GAX) oversize 2004-0004E and oversize 2004-0003E
Anatole France. Le procurateur de Judée. Paris: Édouard Pelletan, 1902. Rare Books (Ex) 3253.3.372
Eugène Grasset. Méthode de composition ornementale. Paris, Librairie centrale des beaux-arts [1905] NK1510 .G7q
Mathurin Méheut. Études d’animaux. Paris: Librarie centrale des beaux-arts, c1911. Graphic Arts Collection (GAX) Oversize 2006-0085F

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1 Comment

martin | August 13, 2009 7:23 AM

thank you very much for this page and these images of Grasset my friend!i love them!!