fornasetti publishes the first 100 “tema e variazioni” in a limited edition handcrafted book
for Piero Fornasetti, a single idea was a sufficient source of inspiration to generate infinite variations of an image. his continually reinvented and reinterpreted motifs include the sun, playing cards, hands and self-portraits – but it was in 1952 that he began work on what would become his most iconic series: tema e variazioni (theme and variations ). a portrait of lina cavalieri—an opera singer who lived between the 19th and 20th centuries, considered “the most beautiful woman in the world”—became Piero’s most fundamental and enduring motif. in search of different states of mind, temperaments and moods, the Italian artist transformed the image of her face into a huge catalog of personalities and peculiarities – in 1966 the series already included 299 variations; today there are nearly 400.
on the occasion of milan design week, fornasetti published ‘tema e variazioni. the first series 1 — 100’, a volume containing the first 100 illustrations from Piero’s collection. the book was entirely handmade and is limited to 100 copies signed and numbered by the son of Piero Barnaba. Barnaba revives, perpetuates and pays homage to the work of his father and to this series, while introducing the brand’s renewed effort in the world of publishing, a sector that has been part of Fornasetti’s history since his creation.
fornasetti | themes and variations of the first series 1-100 | the book
video courtesy of fornasetti
in the design and development of the book, fornasetti has collaborated with experts who represent the quintessence of italian craftsmanship. the original brass dies, engraved using the vintage etching technique, became an important aspect of the cover, giving each book a different appearance. the classic engraving process is reinvented through a combination of manual and digital processing. the brass plates were masked before engraving in order to restore all the graphic detail and the depth of the black lines. each of the 100 illustrations is printed on cotton paper using a manual press, and is accompanied by a text in monotype typography. writings by barnaba fornasetti, gio ponti, alberto manguel and glenn o’brien describe the series.
‘tem and variations. the first series 1 — 100’
a process called “long-stitch binding” – with white and red linen thread – secures the book’s pages, a technique derived from a method used since the 5th century AD to bind archival volumes with leather covers. paper or parchment. the knots of the threads have been deliberately exposed, leaving the spine exposed as a graphic element. the volume itself is enclosed in a leather and velvet shell; its larger format is the perfect frame to keep the graphic detail in its original form.
a process called “long point binding” secures the book pages
inside the handmade limited edition collector’s book
image © designboom
the publication presents the first 100 images of the series ‘tema e variazioni’
image © designboom
each of the 100 illustrations is printed on cotton paper using a hand press
image © designboom
the book seeks to bring to life the meaning and depth of an important chapter in fornasetti’s story
image © designboom
the portrait of lina cavalieri has become Piero’s most fundamental and enduring motif
image © designboom
the Italian artist has transformed the image of her face into a huge catalog of personalities and peculiarities
image © designboom
the original brass dies became an important aspect of the cover
fornasetti has collaborated with experts who represent the quintessence of italian craftsmanship
the classic engraving process has been rewritten through a combination of manual and digital processing
the brass plates were masked before engraving in order to restore all the graphic detail
the images are accompanied by text in monotype typography
the book revives, perpetuates and pays tribute to the work of fornasetti
see designboom @milan.design.week instagram cover
Nina Azzarello I conceive
April 11, 2016