Ex libris

The Ex Libris, born in Germany during the 15th century alongside Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, the Ex Libris (from the Latin ex libris suis, "from the books of...") is the graphic seal with which bibliophiles and collectors authenticate the ownership and identity of their library.

Over the centuries, this refined art form has engaged great masters of engraving, such as Albrecht Dürer, evolving from its original heraldic and aristocratic functions to become, between the 19th century and the golden age of Jugendstil, a true symbolic manifesto of the owner.

Far more than a simple mark, the modern bookplate is a microscopic masterpiece of graphic art: an intellectual portrait that blends passions, mottos, esoteric and decorative elements within a few centimeters, using noble techniques like burin engraving, etching, and woodcut.

In this section, the tradition of this fragment of printing history is celebrated, where executive rigor and research into detail restore an intimate, timeless value to the author's book.