Princeton University Press commissioned Vern Associates to prepare this volume in its prestigious Bollingen Series. Since the book was directly derived from Prof. Ledderose's widely admired 1998 Mellon Lectures at the National Gallery of Art, it required reproduction of nearly 250 pictures. Our client wanted the book to be both accessible and attractive to a nonspecialist audience.

Concept

Our challenge was to find a means, through editing and design, to capture the lectures' brilliance and infectious enthusiasm on the printed page, while closely wedding idea with image to approximate the experience of a slide lecture. Vern Associates' editorial staff worked closely with the author to develop, line-, and copy-edit the manuscript, and to assist him with the research and development of the book's scholarly apparatus.

Design & Content

To comply with our client's desire for a book that would appeal to a nonspecialist audience, Vern Associates conceived a design approach that permits and encourages "dialogue" between image and text.

Production

Our work was completed when we delivered press-ready electronic files to Princeton University Press.

The Result

A handsome volume that conveys Prof. Ledderose's intellectual energy as well as his keen, often startling, aesthetic and cultural insight. An excellent example of Vern Associates' expertise in bringing complex illustrated works of scholarship to publication.