Le courtisan grotesque
Artist: Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893-1983)
Publisher: Le degré quarante et un, Paris, 1974 (Iliazd)
Printer: etchings: Atelier Lacourière & Frélaut, Paris; text: l’Imprimerie Union, Paris (Louis Barnier)
Author: Adrien de Montluc (comte de Cramail) (French, 1589-1646)
Date: 1974
Dimensions:
Slipcase: H: 18 1/8 in. (461 mm); W: 13 3/8 in. (340 mm); Depth: 2 1/4 in. (57 mm).
Chemise: H: 17 7/8 in. (454 mm); W: 13 1/4 in. (337 mm); Depth: 1 7/8 in. (48 mm).
Cover: H: 17 1/4 in. (438 mm); W: 13 in. (330 mm); Depth: 1 1/2 in. (38 mm).
Book: H: 17 1/8 in. (435 mm); W: 12 1/2 in. (318 mm); Depth: 1 1/8 in. (29 mm).
Page: H: 16 9/16 in. (420 mm); W: 11 9/16 in. (293 mm).
Medium: Original prints: 16 mixed etchings, some with aquatint and drypoint in colors, incl. wrapper.
Text: letterpress (typeface: Gill Sans capitals).
Paper: Richard de Bas Auvergne cream wove paper, watermarked.
Classification: Books
Credit Line: Gift of Molly and Walter Bareiss
Object number: 1984.806
Label Text:Joan Miró, Le Courtisan grotesque (The Grotesque Courtier). Text by Adrien de
Montluc (1974)
Russian-born publisher Ilia Zdanevitch, who published under the name of Iliazd, was meticulous in the layout of his books. He often set in advance the number and size of the illustrations he required from the artists he chose to work with. Type design was of extreme importance to Iliazd, and he often spent hours laying out each page.
For the text of this book, Iliazd used a work by an obscure 17th-century satirical writer. Iliazd imaginatively turned some of the letters on their sides, orienting words both horizontally and vertically. This made reading the text an aesthetic game.
Iliazd chose Joan Miró to illustrate Le courtisan grotesque. He proposed the project to Miró in 1951, and Miró enthusiastically agreed. By 1961, Miró still had not completed any of the color etchings for the project. Iliazd wrote him, saying, “…Here it is ten years that I have waited for you to execute your ten plates…. I believe, dear Miró, that we are at the end of the road. It is impossible to prolong this waiting without facing the risk that our Courtisan grotesque will never appear.”
The book, Iliazd’s last, was finally published in 1974. All ended well between publisher and artist. Iliazd wrote to Miró, “It has taken fourteen years, but the papers held up well and so did we.” Miró wrote in reply, “What marvelous architecture, what rigor in composition of the text. My dear Iliazd… I congratulate you with all my heart and must say how much I am pleased and proud to have worked with you.”
Montluc (1974)
Russian-born publisher Ilia Zdanevitch, who published under the name of Iliazd, was meticulous in the layout of his books. He often set in advance the number and size of the illustrations he required from the artists he chose to work with. Type design was of extreme importance to Iliazd, and he often spent hours laying out each page.
For the text of this book, Iliazd used a work by an obscure 17th-century satirical writer. Iliazd imaginatively turned some of the letters on their sides, orienting words both horizontally and vertically. This made reading the text an aesthetic game.
Iliazd chose Joan Miró to illustrate Le courtisan grotesque. He proposed the project to Miró in 1951, and Miró enthusiastically agreed. By 1961, Miró still had not completed any of the color etchings for the project. Iliazd wrote him, saying, “…Here it is ten years that I have waited for you to execute your ten plates…. I believe, dear Miró, that we are at the end of the road. It is impossible to prolong this waiting without facing the risk that our Courtisan grotesque will never appear.”
The book, Iliazd’s last, was finally published in 1974. All ended well between publisher and artist. Iliazd wrote to Miró, “It has taken fourteen years, but the papers held up well and so did we.” Miró wrote in reply, “What marvelous architecture, what rigor in composition of the text. My dear Iliazd… I congratulate you with all my heart and must say how much I am pleased and proud to have worked with you.”
Not on view
In Collection(s)