Paperblanks Van Gogh, Sunflowers Bookmark

Never lose your place again with this beautifully crafted Van Gogh, Sunflowers bookmark from Paperblanks – the perfect companion for a favourite novel or journal, and a delightful little gift.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was one of the most influential artists in the history of Western art. Reproduced here alongside his Sunflowers (1889) painting is a page from one of his letters to his brother, Theo. We are honoured to partner with the Van Gogh Museum on this special Embellished Manuscripts Collection release.

The Story Behind the Design

This striking design comes from a 1907 binding crafted by the Club Bindery in New York. The book was commissioned for Robert Hoe, an American businessman and printing press manufacturer who was a dedicated collector of rare books and manuscripts. The luxurious tooling of the original book was finished in 23 karat gold, with virtually perfect leather onlays. The magnificent gilding of the binding was carried out by Léon Maillard, an artisan specially enlisted from Paris who was considered the best finisher of his day.

Held inside the original binding were two William Shakespeare volumes: The Whole Contention between the two Famous Houses, Lancaster and Yorke and Pericles, Prince of Tyre, both printed in 1619. The Whole Contention is now considered to be a corrupt version of Parts 2 and 3 of Henry VI, one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated works. Together, the texts are known as “Pavier quartos,” after London publishers Thomas Pavier and William Jaggard, who published these and several other unauthorised versions of Shakespeare’s plays. The three Henry VI plays, along with Richard III, make up Shakespeare’s first historical tetralogy, which covers the entire Wars of the Roses saga from the death of Henry V in 1422 to the rise to power of Henry VII in 1485.

This design comes to us from the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. The museum is an international centre for Shakespeare scholarship and regularly hosts workshops, theatrical performances, and family programs. We are honoured to bring to life this beautiful and unique War of the Roses design from the museum’s unparalleled collection.

• Original artwork: Sunflowers oil on canvas painting and handwritten letter by Vincent van Gogh
• Era: 1889 painting, 1888 letter
• Region: Arles, France

Product Details

• Dimensions: 40 × 185 × 1 mm
• Design: Van Gogh, Sunflowers
• Series: Embellished Manuscripts Collection
• Collection: The Van Gogh Museum Collection
• Double-sided design
• Decorative printed paper
• Textured printing
• Rounded edges
• Subtle Paperblanks branding
• Weight: 10 g
• Product code: PA1564-3 | ISBN: 9780349715643

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts, bringing the same care and craftsmanship found in its celebrated journals to every accessory.