![]() Schmied, Peintre-Graveur-Imprimeur, 1924. In this collection of 46 poems, the Comtesse de Noailles evokes impressions of travel in northern Europe and the Mediterranean basin, praising his enchantment of Sicily, the desert of the evenings, the gardens of Lombardy, the Roman days, the Venetian night, the Rhine spring, the Baden nights, etc. Ray, The Art of the French Illustrated Book, p. The success of the book established Schmied as one of the preeminent wood-cut artists of his day. When the initial printer, Philippe Renouard, could not complete the printing, Schmied took over, finishing in 1919. The project was halted by World War I but resumed in 1918. Limited edition of 125 press-numbered copies created and printed for members of the Société du livre contemporain, the exclusive French literary group with an original drawing by the artist.The Société’s project to issue a translation of Kipling’s bestseller was conceived in 1905, and by 1910 Jouve, noted for his paintings and sculptures of African animals, had been selected as the illustrator, and Schmied to execute the wood-cuts of the drawings. ![]() Le Livre de la jungle.Paris: Société du Livre contemporain, 1919. Once the Great Depression took hold, the economic climate could no longer support the cost of Schmied’s books, and he was forced to sell off virtually all of his assets and close his workshop. The success of that production allowed Schmied to expand his operations, purchase a Stanhope hand-press, and hire a group of craftsmen who helped him to execute some of his most famous and pioneering work such as Les Climats (1924), Daphne (1924), Le Cantique des cantiques (1925), Les Ballades Francaises, (1927), Les Douze Cesars (1928), Kim (1930), Ruth et Booz (1930), and Peau-Brune de St. He first gained notoriety with his commission to engrave and print the illustrations of Paul Jouve for Rudyard Kipling’s Le Livre de la Jungle which was finally published in 1919. His marketing strategy was to display sheets of his work in progress at an annual Parisian art fair and seek out the subscription of wealthy bibliophiles and other interested organizations. Schmied books were very expensive to produce and were always printed in a very limited edition, usually numbering no more than 100-200 copies. He is considered a major artist in the Art Deco style, particularly in the area of publishing fine books for bibliophiles. Francois-Louis Schmied (1873-1941) was an important painter, illustrator, wood engraver, printer, editor and bookbinder particularly known for his beautiful limited edition books.
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