Pissarro
An interactive art book exploring the life and masterpiece work of this innovative printer.
- Referencing The Original Artefact
- Celebrating Physical Printing
- Content Curation
Lucien Pissarro, son of famed impressionist Camille Pissarro, was not only an acclaimed painter, but also an innovator in the art of fine-book printing. The legacy and beauty of his achievements are celebrated in a large collection at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum.
Given unique access to the Pissarro archives, we worked with the museum to tell the story of Pissarro’s life through his masterpiece ‘Livre de Jade’. Originally a collection of Chinese poetry, ‘Livre de Jade’ was a French translation that brought the poems to life with wood engravings, gold leaf and beautiful typography.
Digitally we were informed by the aesthetic, to create a gently-contemplative journey through a story arranged in chapters. Transitions and movements reflected the physicality of the printer’s art, while the ornament use in the book similarly punctuated the online journey.
Evolution
- Rediscovering Print Conventions
- Preserving A Historic Craft
- A Textural Experience
Careful classical type-setting
Vertical content flow
Photographic and typographic elements
A Mix Of Elements
- Arts-Based Project
- Heroing Technique
- Making A Treasure Accessible
The story of Pissarro and his masterpiece unfolded through a variety of different artefacts we wanted to include.
Wood Engraving
In deconstructed images, readers have chance to explore the colour layering used to create the illustrations in the book
Personal Letters
Incorporating correspondence gave us a chance to hear directly hear of the artist and his collaborators.
Art Works
Being a celebrated painter as well and the son of a noted impressionist, there are a large number of paintings that share insight into Pissarro’s world.
Video
- Ornament And Art
- Poetic Forms
- Translating Techniques
An interactive art book exploring the life and masterpiece work, ‘Livre de Jade’, of the innovative painter and printer, Lucien Pissarro.
Originally a collection of Chinese poetry, ‘Livre de Jade’ was a French translation that brought the poems to life with wood engravings, gold leaf and beautiful typography.
