About the cover:

Full-grain binding Dark red marocco leather, two vertical zigzag bands with black leather overlay, curved vertical gold lines above, title with dark orange leather overlay at the bottom of the front cover, author and title in gold on the spine, similar decoration on the lower half of the back cover as on the front. Zigzag bands and gold lines run over the edge onto the wide turn-ins on the mirror sides, dark brown silk trim in the centre, framed by two frames with dark red and black leather overlay. Flying leaf of the same silk, laminated with red and gold coloured paper. Slipcase with leather-framed opening and covered with the same coloured paper.

About the content:

Claude Farrère: La Bataille

With 109 coloured lithographs by Charles Fouqueray,

Ex. No. 146 of 350 copies, printed on Vélin d'Arches paper

Auguste Blaizot, Éditeur, Paris 1925

About the artist: Legrain is a decorator and not a bookbinder. Back from his two-year military service in 1916, the bibliophile patron Jacques Doucet discovered in him a great talent for renewing the outdated floral design style. Legrain launched the contemporary Art Deco style, frequently working with typography as a design element and often placing the author and artist on the front cover as part of the decoration. Lacking bookbinding expertise, he employed renowned bookbinders such as René Kieffer, Jeanne, Collet and Desmules to realise his designs.

In 1925, he founded his own workshop and became the undisputed leader of Art Deco bookbinding, receiving great acclaim and recognition for his ‘pure’ designs. Unfortunately, he fell ill at a young age and died in 1929.