Culture
Words by Michel Wlassikoff
Deberny et Peignot’s “Naudin”, 1924
Although conceived in the pre-war years, the typeface only came to fruition in 1924, reflecting an older aesthetic, probably too late in contrast to the emerging modern artistic movements of the time.
Although conceived in the pre-war years, the typeface only came to fruition in 1924, reflecting an older aesthetic, probably too late in contrast to the emerging modern artistic movements of the time.
André Peignot, George’s brother, had started publishing art books, and enlisted the talents of Bernard Naudin (1876-1946) as illustrator. Naudin was a renowned painter, draughtsman and caricaturist of the Belle Epoque, who designed both Beaux livres and humoristic drawings for L’Assiette au beurre, as well as numerous posters. In 1910, André Peignot, supported by his brother, director of the eponymous foundry, asked him to create a typeface to accompany his publications. Working from his own handwriting, Naudin designed and engraved a typeface that the Deberny et Peignot foundry published only in 1924, in three styles: Naudin roman, italic and “champlevé”.
“When I joined the Foundry in 1919, I found myself in the presence of a work too advanced not to be brought to completion, and it was with the collaboration of Naudin himself that the final engraving and casting corrections were made. Collaboration with Naudin was all the more enjoyable in that he was himself a highly talented etcher and burin engraver. He had practical experience of the stall and the punch. Once the typeface was finished, the presentation booklet was my first job as a layout artist (1921/22). Inspired by the beautiful initials in Luce’s catalog, I asked Naudin to draw initials that could play the same role in his typography, which he complemented with numerous subjects and endpapers. Having said that, I have to admit that, at the time, Naudin, whose great qualities I’m not the only one to appreciate today, didn’t correspond to the spirit or the new aesthetic sense that was gradually emerging in all fields of art. The influence of the Fauve painters, followed by that of the Cubists who, from 1905 onwards, had taken the opposite view from the Impressionists, meant that the Naudin conceived in the pre-war years no longer corresponded to the new spirit.”
Charles Peignot, “Les Peignot: Georges, Charles”, Communication et langages, no. 59, 1st quarter 1984.
Document : Archives Signes.
