Aesthetics
and Artistic Styles
& Movements
in the 19th & early 20th centuries
 The
19th and early 20th centuries were a time of diverse change
in the world of art. This
period saw the advent of modern art, while at the same
time artists drew on the past for a wide variety of revival
styles. Publishers' bindings were not immune to these trends,
particularly those events in the decorative arts. Binding
designers employed styles taken from various fine and decorative
arts, and the results ranged from serious works of art
to loose commercial adaptations. These galleries describe
some of the major artistic movements of the 19th and early
20th centuries and discuss their impact on publishers'
bindings. While the definition of artistic style in book
bindings is not a hard and fast science, there are many
examples where cover designs reflect the artistic mood
of the time of their creation, and in some cases, book
covers played a meaningful role in stylistic evolution.
We
also include here several additional galleries that aid
in the understanding of publishers' bindings as art and
artifact. The galleries
and accompanying scholarly material can be incorporated
in lesson plans and can serve as a springboard or inspiration
for further research in a specific area. If you have a
suggestion about a gallery you would like to see, please contact
us.
Artistic Movements
Galleries & Essays
| 
