In 2018, under the auspices of the national Commemoration of André Suarès, the Louis Jou Foundation decided to republish his text The Art of the Book, designed, composed, laid out and printed by Louis Jou in 1928 in a print run of 37 copies. It very quickly sold out and became impossible to find.
In 1992, the Foundation printed a facsimile in letterpress, composed with the original types of Louis Jou in an edition of 65 copies. This edition has become almost as rare as the original.
For this brand new edition, rather than produce another facsimile, the Foundation decided to use the exclusive digital versions of Louis Jou’s typefaces which Thierry Gouttenègre produced under the guidance of Ladislas Mandel, in order to highlight the thought of Suarès and the work of Jou as a perfect example of the art of the book of its time. This will therefore be the first use of this exclusive digital typeface for a bibliophilic edition.
The Foundation has asked noteworthy typographer Julien Gineste — himself a type designer, publisher and author of numerous erudite articles on typography — to take on board the creation of the book’s layout, which will be printed using the wove vélin paper made specially for Jou with his watermark which is conserved at the Foundation.
Whilst being fully respectful of the design ideas of Suarès, the typographer has chosen a format in accord with that of the Jou paper. The opening-page golden spiral is a reminder of this conception of a set aesthetic rules for the book beautiful, such as were in place between the two Wars, in this respect masterpieces of the Renaissance.
The four pages set aside for illustrations are purposely graphic, typographic, selected with care from the rich and vast production of Louis Jou. They appeared to us as the platform, the echo of that thought developed by Suarès in this book. The choice of letterpress, editioning by hand from relief magnesium plates, is a testament to our desire to stay close to an approach of a book of quality whilst being perfectly adapted to the grain of this paper.
The Foundation aims, through the creation of this beautiful reedition, to continue and deepen our activities in recognition of the great works of Louis Jou.
Pre-publication subscription for l’Art du livre of André Suarès
as published by the Louis Jou Foundation
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subscribes for ……………. copy or copies
as offered by the Fondation Louis Jou
at the price of 190 euros
Copies not sold via subscription will be available
subsequently from the Foundation at 220 euros.
The date limit for subscription is the 29th May 2020.
Please return this form with payment to:
Fondation Louis Jou
Hôtel de Brion
Les Baux-de-Provence
13520 France