Fedra

Tragedia di Gabriele D'Annunzio

A very dear friend asked me to bind this lovely copy of the Greek tragedy written by the foremost Italian author, poet, playwright, journalist and womanizer of the early 20th century.  The cover and illustrations are very fascist in design, strong and masculine, and I wanted the binding to reflect that. 

The slipcase on the left, the volume in the middle, and the protective sleeve on the right.

The sleeve. Notice the unusual title layout on the spine.

This image shows very well how snugly the book fits in its protective sleeve.

I chose this massive font for the spine of the book because I think it goes very well with the spirit of the book and its period.

A close-up of the decorative mosaic on the front cover of the book.

The three elements together.

The book inside its sleeve being slipped back into its case.

The original soft cover of the volume. which of course is preserved inside the binding.

The illustration for the Title page.

Illustration at the start of the first act.

Illustration at the beginning of the second act.

Illustration at the beginning of the third act.

The book beside its sleeve.

The headband - always one of my favourite parts of a binding.

A different view of the three elements.

Yet another view of the three elements.

Photos by Nikolaus van der Pas

Gilding by Patrick Prouteau, Paris

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