About the cover:

Full French binding Dark blue morocco leather, with horizontal gold and blind lines running from the front cover over four strong bands to the back cover. Drop-shaped, dot-shaped and flower-shaped overlays in reddish brown, dark brown and beige leather, edged with gold lines. Author and title hand-gilded in the second and fourth band fields. Three-sided gold edging, hand-cut headband. Mirror with wide leather frame around the centre field of fawn-brown moiré silk, blind squares and gold dots on leather edge, flyleaf of the same silk, pages 2 and 3 of bluish coloured paper. Chemise with spine and rail made of slightly darker blue morocco leather, raised bands, cover made of coloured paper, lined with thin beige sheepskin. Solid slipcase, opening edged with dark blue leather.

About the content:

Gérard D'Houville: La Vie Amoureuse de la Belle Hélène With colour woodcuts by Carlègle, number 75 for Monsieur Lindé of the total edition of 130 copies for the Société Normande du Livre Illustré, 1932, in Rouen.

D'Houville recounts the romantic adventures of the protagonist Hélène. The novel illuminates her search for true love, which is marked by passionate encounters and disappointments. At the same time, it addresses the social norms that influence her love life. D'Houville offers a captivating and thoughtful narrative about the facets of love.

About the artist: Georges Cretté was a highly skilled craftsman. The famous bookbinder Marius Michel discovered Cretté at the end of his training at the École Estienne and hired Cretté as his first employee. After Michel’s death in 1925, Georges Cretté became his successor.

In the following years, he freed himself from his master’s influence and developed his own style, which came into its own in all his works from around 1930 onwards: simplicity prevailed grandstand play. He attached great importance to precise, perfect work, always with matching leather and in the right colour tone. Style and perfection continued to evolve.