The State Library of Victoria holds an annual appeal to help acquire, conserve and display significant collection items. This year one of the items they wish to acquire is an important twentieth-century illustrated book ‘La Fin du Monde’.
La Fin du Monde
La Fin du Monde
The State Library of Victoria holds one of the most significant collections of secondary material on art history in the country. Since its foundation it has striven to bring the civilisations of Europe and Asia here to the people of Victoria and to make this a centre of knowledge and culture.
One of the key identified gaps in the Rare Printed Collection is the modern illustrated book representing key developments of the modernist movement. In 2011, the State Library began to redress this gap with the acquisition of a work by surrealist artist Max Ernst Une semaine de bonté Paris, 1934
This year we hope to add to the Rare Printed Collection an important twentieth-century illustrated book, La Fin du Monde, printed in 1919. The book is illustrated by French artist Fernand Leger, a significant artist of the first half of the twentieth century who is best known for his Cubist designs.
The book began its life as a film project but as is often the case funds were not secured. Instead the poems and illustrations were transformed into this delightful volume. The work includes 22 pochoir prints and designs by Leger, alongside a text by French modernist poet Blaise Cendrars.
The book, produced in an edition of 1200 copies, was pioneering is its use of image and typography, and exerted a considerable influence on the subequent development of book design.
It is described in Robert Johnson’s Artists’ Books in the Modern Era 1870-2000 (2002) as: ‘the most beautiful and accessible French artists’ book of its era … A message of modernity is evident on every page of this bibliographic masterpiece’.
The State Library hopes that if they acquire this book it will inspire designers, typographers, artists and bibliophiles. The item will be featured in the State Library’s high profile Mirror of the World exhibition and will add another intriguing chapter in the History of the Book as told by the State Library of Victoria.
The item is currently here from Ursus Books in New York for examination by Collection staff and for viewing by interested supporters. Please help the State Library to acquire this volume and make it accessible to all. To make a donation visit the annual appeal website here.