Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel (Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower)
Henri Rivière, Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel (Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower), 1902, illustrated bound book with thirty-six lithographs, housed in a paperboard slipcase, Museum Purchase: Jean Y. Roth Memorial Fund, © artist or other rights holder, 2012.104.1a,b
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- Title
Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel (Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower)
- Related Titles
portfolio: Les Trente-Six Vues de la Tour Eiffel
translated: Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower
- Artist
- Related People
designed by: Georges Auriol (French, 1863-1938)
publisher: Eugène Verneau (French, active early 20th century)
- Date
1902
- Medium
illustrated bound book with thirty-six lithographs, housed in a paperboard slipcase
- Edition
unnumbered copy from a projected edition of 500
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
book: 9 1/4 in x 11 1/2 in x 5/8 in; each sheet: 9 in x 10 1/2 in; case: 9 1/2 in x 11 3/4 in x 1 in
- Collection Area
Graphic Arts
- Category
Books, Portfolios, and Manuscripts
Prints
- Object Type
planographic print
album
- Culture
French
- Credit Line
Museum Purchase: Jean Y. Roth Memorial Fund
- Accession Number
2012.104.1a,b
- Copyright
© artist or other rights holder
- Terms
Henri Rivière's bound volume of thirty-six color lithographs embodies the Art Nouveau livre d'artiste. It has an elegant japoniste design, and every detail was specially handled; tinted wove paper was manufactured exclusively for the publication by the Rives paper mill, and the typeface was set by Art Nouveau designer George Auriol, who also designed the slipcase which is embossed with a stylized iris motif.
Rivière drew on Japanese precedents such as Katsushika Hokusai's Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1826–1833) for his exploration of the Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair. By the time the volume was published, the excitement over the tower had faded, and the book was a commercial failure. Far fewer than the anticipated five hundred copies were printed, making the books highly sought after today.
- Exhibitions
2013 Artist & Book: 100 Years Portland Art Museum