The celebration of World Book and Copyright Day (23 April) served as the theme for the Flaubert in the Gulbenkian Collection display, on show in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. It features a selection of works by the French author Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880), who is represented in the Gulbenkian Collection with ten works.

Organised by curator Ana Maria Campino, the exhibition reflects on the illustrative power of luxury editions, which appealed greatly to Calouste Gulbenkian as an avid bibliophile. Although the writer did not allow his works to be illustrated, various editions were published posthumously that were decorated by renowned illustrators, printmakers or book-binders.

Among the books selected are a copy belonging to the CAM Collection of La Légende de Saint Julien L’Hospitalier, illustrated by Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887-1918). Created in 1912, Amadeo’s illustration combines tradition and modernity: starting with the medieval manuscript, the artist transcends the boundaries of the illustrated book, taking it closer to the concept of the artist’s book.

The display, which can be visited until 20 November, is presented at three points around the Museum galleries, according to the themes that inspired the writer: Antiquity, Christian and medieval imagery, and the 19th century. On 6 May, there will be a conversation on the topic of ‘Flaubert and illustration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.’