Edition:
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10 deluxe copies numbered from ET I/X to ET X/X, each including one of the ten original engraving plates by Louise Bescond
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40 copies numbered from 1/40 to 40/40
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7 non-commercial copies (not for sale) copies numbered HC I/VII to HC V/VII
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All copies are signed by the author and the artist.
NAISSANCE D'UN LIVRE
Artist’s book co-published with the Atelier du Livre d’Art et de l’Estampe of the Imprimerie Nationale
What is a book? Spirit materialised in the form of a printed volume that celebrates the union of ink, lead and paper. But before it can become this extraordinary tool for transmitting thought, the book is first a project: the wager of an author grappling with their idea of the work to be written. The book in its nascent state is handwritten: it is loose sheets covered in crossings-out that record the formidable work of writing on writing by which the writer invents their text. This book on the book will therefore begin with these mysterious autograph adventures that tell the emergence of the text, from the very first scenario to its final version, via sketches, rough drafts, second thoughts, repentances, corrections, and up to the final typewritten “press-ready” text. To enter the secret laboratory of this creative process, we will follow, line by line, the genesis of one of Flaubert’s pages — the incipit of La légende de Saint-Julien l’hospitalier; it will be as if we were witnessing the book being written, hidden behind the writer’s shoulder as he works to blacken his large sheets of blue paper.
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Publication date: Autumn 2026
Box size : 47 x 31 cm
Book size : 45,5 x 30 cm
Bibliophile Edition Price: €3,800
Deluxe Edition Price: €4,800
AUTHORS, ARTISTS AND ARTISANS
The book as a living space of co-creation, dialogue, and transmission
ATELIER DU LIVRE D'ART & DE L'ESTAMPE DE L'IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE (IN GROUPE)
The origin of the Atelier du Livre d'Art et de l'Estampe (Art Book and Print Workshop) dates back to 1538, when Francis I appointed the first king's printer for Greek, a founding act in the history of printed writing in France. Heir to the Royal Printing House founded in 1640, which successively became the Imprimerie de la République, Imperial, and National Printing House, it preserves a unique collection of punches, listed as a historic monument. Drawing on rare expertise spanning the entire typographic and intaglio printing chain, the workshop collaborates with artists and publishers on exceptional projects.
Contact us
Please contact us to learn more about our artwork-books, arrange a private viewing, or share an acquisition project. We would be delighted to discuss these rare and singular works with you.
contact@editionslealtorres.com
Tel: + 33 (0)6 16 34 81 69
790 Avenue Maurice Donat BAT D
06250 Mougins