Jean, Vicomte d'Aguisy Grolier de Servieres
Encyclopedia
Jean Grolier de Servières, viscount d'Aguisy (1479 in Lyon
– October 22, 1565, in Paris
) was Treasurer-General of France
and a famous bibliophile. As a book collector, Grolier is known in particular for his patronage of the Aldine Press
, and his love of richly decorated bookbindings. He gave his name to a style of bookbinding ornamented with geometric patterns. He is also the namesake of the Grolier Club
of New York City.
Grolier's family was of Italian origin, but was based in Lyon where Grolier's father held a government post as a tax collector. The family was not of patrician origin, but was rich enough to enter the French nobility. Both Grolier and his father spent time in Italy working in the Duchy of Milan
when it was under French occupation. Grolier's Italian connections were important to him in obtaining books for his library. Grolier commissioned distinctive bindings for his books, the colour of the leather varying according to the book's subject-matter.
The designs show Italian influence, and less directly Islamic influence, but they were mainly executed in France. Analysis of the surviving bindings shows that Grolier patonised several workshops over the years. While only a limited amount of information is known about the bookbinders involved, documentary evidence allows the identification of a couple of them, for example, a French binder called Jean Picard
, who was active in the 1540s and who combined his bookbinding with managing an agency of the Aldine Press.
Some of the books are in public collections such as the British Library
.
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
– October 22, 1565, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was Treasurer-General of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and a famous bibliophile. As a book collector, Grolier is known in particular for his patronage of the Aldine Press
Aldine Press
Aldine Press was the printing office started by Aldus Manutius in 1494 in Venice, from which were issued the celebrated Aldine editions of the classics . The Aldine Press is famous in the history of typography, among other things, for the introduction of italics...
, and his love of richly decorated bookbindings. He gave his name to a style of bookbinding ornamented with geometric patterns. He is also the namesake of the Grolier Club
Grolier Club
The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Treasurer General of France, whose library was famous; his...
of New York City.
Grolier's family was of Italian origin, but was based in Lyon where Grolier's father held a government post as a tax collector. The family was not of patrician origin, but was rich enough to enter the French nobility. Both Grolier and his father spent time in Italy working in the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
when it was under French occupation. Grolier's Italian connections were important to him in obtaining books for his library. Grolier commissioned distinctive bindings for his books, the colour of the leather varying according to the book's subject-matter.
The designs show Italian influence, and less directly Islamic influence, but they were mainly executed in France. Analysis of the surviving bindings shows that Grolier patonised several workshops over the years. While only a limited amount of information is known about the bookbinders involved, documentary evidence allows the identification of a couple of them, for example, a French binder called Jean Picard
Jean Picard (bookbinder)
Jean Picard was a French bookbinder and bookseller. He was active in the 1540s.He is best-known for having bound many books for the bibliophile Jean Grolier...
, who was active in the 1540s and who combined his bookbinding with managing an agency of the Aldine Press.
Horology
During his retirement he invented the “Turtle Clock”. This is a mysterious contraption consisting of a hidden clockwork oriented face up, like a 16th century table clock, beneath a non-ferrous plate whose rim shows the twelve numbers of the hours. The hour hand rotating underneath the plate has a magnet which causes a man-made floating turtle (that has a longitudinal iron bar in its body) to point its head towards the appropriate hour.Survival of Grolier's collection
Grolier's books bore the inscription, Io. Grolieri et Amicorum (Latin for "the property of Jean Grolier and his friends"). There is some debate about how he shared books with his friends, but there is evidence that his generosity in lending to friends resulted in some items going missing before the library was dispersed in the seventeenth century. Some 500 books can still be identified as having formed part of the library, and for centuries Grolier's reputation as a collector has increased the value of any book associated with him.Some of the books are in public collections such as the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
External links
- Jean Grolier Biography from the Grolier Club