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.

“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.”