De la Typographie

Lucien Pissarro (1863-1944) and Charles Rickets (1866-1931)

19.9 x 13.3 cm.

Beckwith, Victorian Bibliomania catalogue no. 22

Collection: John Hay Library, Brown University

Although William Morris stood apart from Art Nouveau, its members embraced him. Charles Ricketts was at the center of the circle of aesthetes designing and illustrating Oscar Wilde's books, and rivaled Aubrey Beardsley (cat. 37) in his application of Morrisonian borders and illuminated initial letters to texts. Wilde's attitude toward book design, on one occasion at least, echoed that of William Morris and John Ruskin. Wilde warned, "There is a danger of modern book illustration becoming too pictorial. What we need is good book ornament—decorative ornament that will go with type and printing and give to each page a harmony and unity of effect" (Wick, 9). On the fringes of the Art Nouveau group was Lucien Pissarro, son of the Impressionist painter Camille. [continued below]

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