About the cover:
Flexible full leather binding Single-ply booklet stitched with dark blue thread into a flexible grey calfskin cover decorated with a stylised mounted fish in grey and blue-grey box calf with fine chessboard-like blind embossing, separated by a strip of box calf with title embossed in dark chalk blue, fins in mouse-grey box calf with fine blind embossed lines. Chemise with title embossed in silver and slipcase covered with black paper.
About the content:
Jean Follain: Palais souterrain, Carnet II
Ex. No. XI of 111 on Auvergne laid paper with an original gouache by P.A. Benoit
Édition Pierre André Benoit (pab), 1953 Seven short and romantic poems.
About the artist: Jean de Gonet set up his own studio at boarding school while still at school and acquired his first specialist skills. After graduating from high school and completing his military service, he found his first job as a bookbinder in the historical service of the navy. Two years later, orders from an important collector enabled him to set up his own studio. After exhibiting some of his bindings at the Centre Pompidou in 1977, booksellers and curators became aware of his new style and invited him in 1978 to present contemporary bindings to the younger generation together with Monique Mathieu and Georges Leroux. His first solo exhibition took place in 1982 at the Giraud-Badin bookshop.
At the request of the Centre Pompidou, he designed a library binding with PU covers in 1985. He had this patented and from then on worked with 6 employees for many large libraries. In 1987 he was awarded the National Arts Crafts Prize.
