V. Masterpiece Bindings

 

V. Perfection and Splendour
Masterpiece Bindings of the Romantic Era

One of the effects of the French Revolution was a steep decline in the art of bookbinding. After the simple and plain bindings produced during Napoleon’s First Empire (1804-1814), the time of the Bourbon Restoration (1814-1830) saw a renewed popularity of decorative and precious bindings, which harked back to a variety of different historical styles. The master bookbinders of the Romantic placed great importance on technical perfection, which was particularly evident in the era’s filigree and splendid mosaic bindings.

Though already printed in 1803, Florian’s Éliezer et Nephtaly [no. 200] was not bound until the Restoration period more than a decade later, and while the outer frame remains in strict linearity, the decorations in the centre play with the typical diamond and volute shapes of the Rococo. The Toulouse bookbinder Jean Badiéjous, who was considered an “excellent craftsman” [Fléty], was active between 1807-1847, which meant his work spanned more than one epoch. He furnished Goethe’s Werther edition from 1825 with a colourful mosaic binding, which draws on the 18th century’s wealth of forms such as vines, shells, and daisies [no. 261]. In the same tradition are the two delicately decorated red morocco bindings by René Simier, who was the royal bookbinder at the time. Simier not only bound a Molière edition for Prince Michail Alexandrowitsch Galitzin [no. 449], but he was also the artist behind the binding for the complete works of Rousseau, which used to belong to Marie Caroline Duchesse de Berry [no. 542].

The 1825 edition of the works of François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis was also bound in a historicised cover by E. Vogel: here it is the framing of coloured leather stripes that emerges more strongly than the ornamental volutes, blossoms, and palmettes, while in the golden field at the centre, an elaborate rosette overlays a diamond shape exemplifying the new decorative style à la cathédrale [no. 75]. The same bookbinder was also responsible for the binding of the Sainte Bible, on which a rosette and diamond shape are emphasised by parallel stripes [no. 547]. The rosette is more prominent in the small binding by Duplanil fils for Les six codes [no. 558]; it finally appears fully emancipated as the central decorative shape on Thouvenin’s grandiose Maroquin citron (yellow morocco) binding for Malherbe’s Poésies [no. 438]. On the doublure (the inside of the covers) appears another rosette, while on the outside, the bookbinder Bogetti “degothicised” the motif by turning it into a floral stamped circle [no. 259]. Two volumes from the series of Livres Troubadour vary the décor a la cathedrale, which suits the books’ medieval material particularly well: the red morocco volume by Livre Mignard follows in the footsteps of Simier’s filigree [no. 420].

Two large format albums offer a wide field of experimentation for the play with gothic ornamental elements: the precious Album amicorum by Pauline François, with drawings and autographs of the crème de la crème of French Romanticism [No. 153], as well as a mid-century album containing photographs, probably by J. M. Kronheim [no. 560].

 
Heribert Tenschert