Autumn Symphony Allegro and Cadenza: Twirling Vines and Dancing Leaves

Conjuring the magical sense of an autumnal orchestra, these covers are based on the work of Henri Francois Victor Marius Michel (1846–1925), who, along with his father, Jean Michel (1821–1890), founded the 20^th-century French school of binding.

Marius Michel’s genius involved using curved stamps to create exotic foliage and flowers. His great and lasting insight was that the decoration of the book’s cover should relate to its contents. Everything from the choice of skins, silks and papers, to his ability to coax miracles from string and cardboard, made Marius Michel an inspiration to all who came after.

It was the sense of movement evident in the designs that originally drew us to these two covers, and with their deep yet vibrant hues of red, green and orange, we knew that they would create the ideal series for fall. Both bindings are now part of the Spencer Collection held at the New York Public Library.

Allegro

This multi-colour design was originally crafted in crushed red levant Morocco leather for an 1876 French translation of The Book of Ruth. With clean, flowing lines suggesting leaves eddying in the wind, the quick and playful pace of an allegro is captured in this Marius Michel binding.  

Cadenza

For his cover of Anatole France’s book Le Lys rouge, famed bookbinder Marius Michel inlaid a piece of crushed green levant Morocco with ten different colours of leather. This 1907 French binding is reproduced here, showcasing Michel’s signature use of curved stamps and ivy spirals.  

Get all the details about our Autumn Symphony series at www.paperblanks.com!

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About Paperblanks^®: At Paperblanks^®, we believe that art should have a place in all aspects of life. That’s why we follow the artist’s way in everything we do – creating, crafting and releasing designs we believe have the power to touch people. For more about Paperblanks^®, go to our website at paperblanks.com.