Apart from the conjunction of a traditional and modern style which is reflected in the illustrations and the crowd subject in Badauderies Parisiennes, the redefined relationship between image and text also secures its transitional status in the history of illustrated books. Before the nineteenth century, text oftentimes—if not always—
occupied the dominant position in its relationship with image; the image, on the other hand, was subjugated to the incidental position. However, such a situation was gradually overturned in the nineteenth century.137
Before the century under discussion, as for instance during Romanticism, the common goal of book illustrators was to translate the text into its visual form by way of conforming the latter to the indications offered by the textual descriptions.138 Therefore, the illustration depended directly on the text and was controlled by it.139 However, as the intention in literary artworks turned away from description towards non-descriptive elements, the book illustrations were consequently impacted.140 The phenomenon of keeping distance from the text rose increasingly around the 1830s among painter illustrators.141 Although images turned away from direct transcriptions,
136 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 330.
137 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 330.
138 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 339.
139 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 339.
140 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 339.
141 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 339.
text still kept a leading role in book illustration. However, the situation tended to reverse gradually, and images began to command the text as for instance in travel albums or in fashion magazines.142
This phenomenon can be seen for instance in 1843 in Un Autre Monde.143 Grandville illustrations were so well-done that it seemed that Taxile Delord’s text was only there as a décor to complete them. The public regarded this book as Grandville’s, without paying attention to the author of the text.144
Another example illustrating this trend can be found in the strength given to the illustration in Les Français peints par eux-mêmes (Fig. 98), a revue consisting of five volumes concerning all sort of French thing, which will have as subtitle for its two last volumes “Moral Encyclopedia of nineteenth century” (Encyclopédie morale du dix-neuvième siècle). 145 Its popularity was essentially due to its extraordinary illustrations.146 Badauderies Parisiennes followed this trend and borrowed certain traits of the new visual formula introduced in Les Français. While in both cases each chapter has its own autonomy and entrusts a columnist as author to write one or more than one chapter, the illustrations are constituted on the other side of one plate in full page which is “hors-texte” and a series of vignettes incorporated within the text (Figs.
99 and 2).147 Although Badauderies Parisiennes derives its visual structure from Les Français, the former takes some distance from the approach taken by the latter. For example, at the head of each chapter of Les Français, a certain type or character
142 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 336.
143 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 336.
144 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 336. Therefore, when Les
Métamorphoses du jour published with the texts of Albéric Second, Clément Caraguel and Louis Lurine in 1854, the editor Havard took precaution and assured that: “en accompagnant d’un texte chaque dessin, nous avons cherché à suivre Grandville scrupuleusement partout où il pouvait être suivi, à traduire fidèlement sa pensée en espérant qu’en faveur de cet humble servage la parle trouverait grâce devant le dessin.”
145 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 336; Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 376.
146 Roger Chartier and Henri-Jean Martin ed., (as note 22), p. 336.
147 Abélès, (as note 12), p. 316 ; The “hors-texte” is a a printer’s term, meaning literally “outside the text,” which refers to illustrations printed separately from the text of a book, such as plates tipped in the book. Explanation from the Larousse dictionary: “Illustration de mêmes dimensions que les cahiers formant un livre, mais imprimée à part et intercalée dans l'ouvrage.”
representative of the French people shows isolated on one full-page with color and shadow. These characters reflect a physiognomy of the contemporary society (Fig.
100).148 If Vallotton’s illustrations follow to some extent this physiognomical tradition, they do not emphasize any more the single “type”, but rather gather isolated people to become a lively crowd on the street.149
What makes the illustrations of the Badauderies Parisiennes transitional is not only because during this period the image is getting stronger than the text, but also because the image is conceived before the text and antedates it. The image is given a leading role, a phenomenon that heralds the emergence of the artist’s book (Livre d’Artiste) which will develop as an art form during the twentieth century.150
In the nineteenth century, the market for visual art which had grown along with luxury goods expanded thanks to the industrial growth, the accumulation of capital and the presence of an educated upper middle class with an appetite for fine consumer goods.151 Editors saw on the one side the opportunity to market deluxe editions. On the other, the educated upper middle class formed the elite market and became preponderant collectors in bibliophile societies.152 They were willing to devote lavish resources to their hobby, and, ensuring their money to be well spent, they assigned responsibility to one or two leading members to make fine books in the Paris of that time.153 Since their books were financed, they enjoyed a freedom of action denied to commercial publishers.154 They could choose whichever authors and artists they like
148 Article from Musée d'Orsay’s offical website, “"Les Français peints par eux- mêmes", panorama social du XIXe siècle,”: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/evenements/expositions/archives/presentation- generale/browse/22/article/les-francais-peints-par-eux-memes-panorama-social-du-xixe-siecle-4115.html?S=&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=252&cHash=ae7d1a8a22&print=1&no_cache=1&
(access on 10 November 2016) Exhibition from 23 March to 13 June, 1993 Musée d'Orsay.
149 Musée d'Orsay, (as note as 148) .
150 An artist’s book, being not a reproduction of pre-existing work, is a work that does not exist in any other form and is created as book as the first instantiation and expression of a project. Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 373.
151 Johanna Drucker, The century of artists' books, New York 2004, p. 3.
152 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 372.
153 Such as Uzanne, Paillet, Beraldi, Rodrigues, Dauze or Maunier were in charge. Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 372.
154 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 373.
regardless of the popular taste.155 As a result, they could employ luxurious formats, fine papers, and demand fine illustrative techniques.156
Badauderies Parisiennes was produced under this background. It is actually a luxury book, as can be proven by its limited number of copies—only 220. It is also under this term that Uzanne described it book in its preface as “ […] the first tentative of making a deluxe edition with the cooperation of the latest writers.”157 It is therefore legitimate to assimilate this publication as the equivalent of an artist’s book.
Furthermore, as in the artist’s book, the artist and the writer are often contracted independently, they often do not meet or meet through the arranged connection of the project.158 This is exactly the mode of collaboration that took place with Badauderies Parisiennes. As Uzanne claims in the preface:
“Vallotton’s prints were distributed to those literary hacks, many of whom – after uncovering their personal publications – have already entered into the state of notoriety — if not into the great banality of success. Entire freedom of writing was left to each writer whose name should (thereby) cover entirely the responsibility of the signatory of each chapter.”159
According to him, Uzanne was responsible for distributing Vallotton’s prints to selected members of La Revue Blanche, asking each to write a short piece inspired by
155 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 373.
156 Finke ed., (as note 6), p. 373.
157 The number of copies correspond to the information provided in the preface. It indicates that the book has only 220 copies, of which 200 are for the subscribers of the Bibliophiles Indépendants and 20 for the literary and artistic collaborators of Badauderies Parisiennes; “La présente publication est la première tentative d’édition de luxe faite avec le concours d’écrivains de la dernière heure.”
158 Drucker, (as note 151), p. 4.
159 “Les gravures de Vallotton furent distribuées à ces littérateurs dont plusieurs, —après mise au jour de publications personnelles, —sont déjà entrés dans la notoriété, sinon dans la grande banalité du succès. Liberté entière de rédaction fut laissée à chacun, le nom de l’écrivain devant couvrir entièrement la responsabilité du signataire de chaque chapitre.” Badauderies Parisiennes, p. VII.
the illustration he received.160 Uzanne’s implied subordination of word to image reversed in this case the standard hierarchy and pointed out the way toward the Livre d’Artiste.161 Badauderies Parisiennes is a derivative of the artist’s book not only through its luxurious aspect and the reduced number of copies but also through the similar independency of collaboration between writers and artists.
To sum up, the Badauderies Parisiennes secures its transitional status not only by redefining the relationship between image and text in the nineteenth century but also by heralding the appearance of the twentieth century artist’s book.