The Artist of the Beautiful

“...but in Owen Warland the spirit was not dead nor passed away; it only slept.” The Artist of the Beautiful is a book by an artist, about an artist, for artists. How often have we all been poor Owen Warland, told by the world that our innate drive to create the beautiful is silly and worthless? First published in 1844, this short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne continues to ring true today. The concept behind this redesign is to have this book as a “grab-and-go”; a 4x6 paperback that will easily fit in your back pocket or whatever bag you’re carrying. The pages depict Owen’s mood- when he is depressed and creatively empty they are surrounded with a black border; when he is awake and alive and at work once more the border is broken. Full page pull quotes are inserted throughout the book—quotes that I found the most important, the most inspiring, the words readers would want to be able to flip to easily. This design is set completely in Baskerville and hand bound. Final project for Typography II, Auburn University, Spring 2018.