Librairie Métamorphoses: A Treasure Island for Modern Times
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
Updated: May 4
In 2020, les éditions Leal Torres celebrated the launch of their first book, Le Gardeur de troupeaux, at the Librairie Métamorphoses bookstore. This marked the beginning of a beautiful friendship between our publishing house and this exceptional institution located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Today, the éditions Leal Torres catalog is available there in its entirety for browsing and purchase.
Our team recently had the pleasure of spending some time in this enchanting place with Michel Scognamillo, co-founder and director of Métamorphoses. He presented his unique bookstore that specializes in antique and modern books, bindings, manuscripts, autograph documents, photography, and graphic works on paper, while sharing his career path and his vision of his profession.
A place to celebrate the book
At once bookstore, gallery, and publishing house, Métamorphoses is first and foremost a place to celebrate the book. Specializing in rare and precious antique and modern books from all periods, the bookstore offers a sought-after collection of illustrated books, artists' books, and exceptional books, rendered remarkable by their provenance or condition.
"Our focus is primarily on the content of the book," explains Michel Scognamillo. "We are, of course, always on the lookout for anything a book might offer that's 'extra': a special inscription, original illustrations, an elaborate binding, or any other extraordinary addition. But what interests us first and foremost is the text and the book's state of preservation, which should be as close as possible to its original condition."
As for the gallery, the team at Métamorphoses dedicates exhibitions to authors, illustrators, painters, and other artists who have a connection, from near or far, with books. To accompany these demonstrations, Métamorphoses publishes a more or less scholarly book, depending on the subject and themes explored. For example, in 2022, a retrospective exhibition was dedicated to the work of Fanny Viollet, aiming to offer a comprehensive overview of her embroidered oeuvre; the catalogue Fanny Viollet ou les métamorphoses du fil was published on this occasion. The connection to the book? Viollet created textile bindings for several publications.
It is thus that Métamorphoses conceives event-exhibitions around diverse themes and figures—from the Romanian surrealists Paul Păun/Paon and Ghérasim Luca to Gisèle Celan-Lestrange, by way of Zoran Mušič, Gilles Aillaud, Christelle Téa, Diane de Bournazel, and so many others—which offer, depending on their aim, a focused or panoramic view of the work of leading figures in the book arts. The bookstore has also dedicated exhibitions to the artist Gérard Traquandi and the art bookbinder Louise Bescond, two dear friends of les éditions Leal Torres.
The starting point: the encounter
According to the bookseller, chance plays a big role in determining the exhibition schedule and, consequently, the publishing calendar of Métamorphoses. “I’d love to show Francis Bacon and Cy Twombly, but I’m not the only one. So I let myself be guided by chance encounters to define our exhibition offerings.”
In 2024, the bookstore had the opportunity to dedicate an exhibition to Fleury Joseph Crépin, featuring some thirty paintings that had been part of a personal collection for over half a century. It was thanks to a colleague and friend who connected the nonagenarian collector with the gallery owner that this exhibition was able to take place in the year marking the centenary of Surrealism.
It was also an encounter that marked the starting point of Michel Scognamillo’s career: the one with Treasure Island, the first book that truly captivated him. “My story with books began in Italy when I was 12 years old. There was that one book, and then dozens and dozens more. I was 21 when I left Italy: I arrived in France and did my military service. Then, I needed a job, and I went to work in an antiquarian bookshop as a bibliographer. I changed jobs and roles several times… Until the day I decided to open my own space. With Alban, who would become my partner, we found this space that suited us perfectly. In 2018, we set up shop as booksellers, but given the space and our shared interests, the idea of exhibiting and then publishing ourselves followed naturally.”
The jewels of the island
During his fourty-year career, thousands of books passed through his hands. When asked which ones made a lasting impression, Scognamillo mentions a copy of Swann's Way, the first volume of In Search of Lost Time, containing textual and typographical corrections in the hand of Marcel Proust, still unknown at the time. There was also a copy of Plutarch's Lives of Illustrious Men, in a 1565 Amyot translation, bearing Ronsard's signature twice; very few books in French are known to have belonged to Ronsard, and this one might well be the only literary book in French that belonged to him. "And then there was that little manuscript by Bataille that we bought at auction and on which I worked for months. I wrote a substantial description of it before selling it to Harvard University—back when that was still possible…"
A place for taking one's time
With its immaculate white walls and bright windows, its enchanting exhibitions and hundreds of captivating books, Librairie Métamorphoses invites you to linger.
“Our business might seem a bit extravagant compared to other antiquarian booksellers, and at the same time, very different from other Parisian galleries. People aren’t quite sure where we fit in, and we accept that. We don’t try to confine ourselves to a single specialization.”
For the team at Librairie Métamorphoses, what is essential is to approach everything in earnest: “We dedicate ourselves to what we love, to what our encounters bring us.” Having the freedom to devote oneself only to what interests one is perhaps the greatest treasure of all.
This is how an impressive catalog of diverse writers and artists is showcased at 17 rue Jacob. A passionate and knowledgeable team will serve as your guide on this fantastic island.