Artists' books in the modern era 1870 - 2000

Livres d'artiste have an enduring appeal that has triumphantly survived the twentieth century despite the many technological changes in book production in the modern era. A distinctively French creation, as Donna Stein explains in this magnificently crafted survey, these limited edition books are handmade and combine the written word with original graphic art, executed and printed under the artist's supervision. As almost every well-known painter and sculptor has created at least one book with original illustrations since the late nineteenth century, they have also come to be known as livres de peintre.