The Concept of “The Art of Book” in the Works of Book Scientists of the 1920s

The author uses historiographic analysis, scientologic and bibliological methods to analyse the texts of the leading domestic book scientists of the 1920s, expressed on the art and design of book. The article identifies the range of the most important sources from the point of view of the studied theme. The author traces how the concept of the “art of book” was interpreted by scientists of that period, how it was introduced into science, and what aspects of study of design skills seemed to be the most advanced. Increased interest in the appearance and aesthetic quality of printed publications, which had been observed in the art criticism since the end of the 19th century, moved in the 1920s to the field of academic science. There is a need to concretize the basic concepts of “book art criticism”, specify them in detail in the general system of book science. According to the majority of researchers, the art of book should be understood first of all not as graphic decorations, illustrative additions to the text, but its typographic interpretation, clear coordination of all elements of the book ensemble. This idea was also expressed by the critics of Silver age, but it was the book scientists of the 1920s who especially vigorously promoted it, introduced it into the minds of contemporaries and into scientific circulation, and used it as a methodological basis for their theoretical constructions.

M.I. Shchelkunov’s monograph “History, technology, art of book printing” played an important role in the history of “art book science”. It contains a lot of valuable information; however it is largely spoiled by the author’s vulgar-sociological approach to the chosen topic. More successful were the works of A.A. Sidorov “The art of book”, “Book as an object of study and artistic elements of book”, which raised the question of the need to study the forms of book, the laws of its construction, and the ratio of constructive and decorative elements in the design ensemble. The author also considers the statements about the art of book by M.N. Kufaev, A.M. Lovyagin, N.F. Garelin, M.I. Fabrikant, A.G. Fomin, P.M. Dulsky. Attempts by scientists in the 1920s to create a theory of book art, to approach the study of print works from the standpoint of art studies, were not always successful, but nevertheless, they were of great importance for Russian book science, expanded its borders and significantly influenced its further development.

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