About the cover:

Full-grain binding Dark red marocco leather, two vertical zigzag bands with black leather overlay, curved vertical gold lines above, title with dark orange leather overlay at the bottom of the front cover, author and title in gold on the spine, similar decoration on the lower half of the back cover as on the front. Zigzag bands and gold lines run over the edge onto the wide turn-ins on the mirror sides, dark brown silk trim in the centre, framed by two frames with dark red and black leather overlay. Flying leaf of the same silk, laminated with red and gold coloured paper. Slipcase with leather-framed opening and covered with the same coloured paper.

About the content:

Claude Farrère: La Bataille

With 109 coloured lithographs by Charles Fouqueray,

Ex. No. 146 of 350 copies, printed on Vélin d'Arches paper

Auguste Blaizot, Éditeur, Paris 1925

About the artist: Pierre Legrain was originally a decorator and not a bookbinder. He returned from his military service in 1916 and was hired by the bibliophile patron Jacques Doucet, who saw in him great potential for renewing the outdated floral design style. Legrain launched the contemporary Art Deco style. He frequently worked with typography as a design element and often placed the author’s and the artist’s names on the front cover as part of the decoration. As he initially didn’t have any knowledge of bookbinding himself, he employed renowned bookbinders such as René Kieffer to realize his designs.

In 1925, he founded his workshop and bound the books on his own. At this point, he was undisputedly leading in the Art Deco cover design, had significant influence and received great acclaim for his “pure” designs. Unfortunately, he already died in 1929, 39 years old.