The Portrait
Kent Court Studios, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2006
Description
This project, as conceived by the artist Steinmetz, revolves around Gogol’s classic story, “The Portrait.” Steinmetz created a series of 21 incredible drawings inspired by this story and wanted to present them together with a specially commissioned new translation of the original 1835 version. As the drawings were specifically not illustrations of the text but rather used the story as a point of departure, it seemed an obvious decision to create a two-volume set that treated both the text and the drawings with equal weight. At the same time, there is such a close relationship or dialogue between the two, it was important that they be presented together as a single, coherent entity, hence the slipcased presentation and consistent design approach to each volume. The main inspiration for the design came from the drawings themselves: they employ a simple, elegant pen-and-ink process to create rich yet delicate textures that benefit from substantial white space and a highly pared-down design, distracting and detracting as little as possible from the art itself.
Juror Notes
“The story is by Gogol, ca. 1835; the drawings are by Steinmetz. A killer combination of the printed word and kinetic drawings, superbly printed. The slip sleeve housing the two books is novel.”
Credits
- Design firm
- Kent Court Studios
- Creative director
- Leon Steinmetz
- Designer
- John Horner
- Jacket designer
- John Horner
- Photographer
- John Horner
- Author
- Leon Steinmetz
- Editor
- Olja Tielkes
- Trim size
- 11 x 11 inches
- Pages
- 52 (each volume)
- Quantity printed
- 700
- Typefaces
- Centaur, Sabon
- Printer
- Calff & Meischke
- Jacket printer
- Calff & Meischke
- Paper
- Schleipen Fly 04 letterpress paper
- Binding method
- French
- Publisher/client
- Pegasus Publishers & Booksellers