Titelpagina voor: B. Picart, Recueil de lions, 1729 1729

This is the title page for "Recueil de Lions" by Bernard Picart, created in 1729. The immediate impression is one of order and hierarchy, conveyed through the careful arrangement of text blocks in various sizes and weights. The composition guides our eye from the prominent title at the top, down through the artist’s name, to the imprint details at the bottom. Notice how Picart uses typography as a structuring element. The red ink contrasts against the off-white paper, drawing attention to key information. The centered alignment and varied font sizes create a visual rhythm, a structured cadence that reflects the organization of the book itself, divided into fixed sections. The small emblem disrupts the strict linearity of the text, introducing a symbolic layer. The inclusion of Latin text, ‘INTER OMNES’ below the emblem infers classical knowledge and positions the book within a scholarly tradition. The formal qualities of this title page—its balance, typography, and symbolic elements—transform a mere introduction into a statement of artistic and intellectual intent. The design functions beyond pure aesthetics, signalling the larger cultural and philosophical context of its time, where order and reason were paramount.