The Most Beautiful Book of Finland in 2009

While we are preparing our next entry about the latest achievements of Finnish book history, we would like to show you the most beautiful book of the year.

This year The Finnish Book Arts Committee chose Amour unit deux coeurs - Henry Lönnforsin miniatyyrikokoelma, Henry Lönnfors miniatyrsamling as the main prize winner. The book introduces Henry Lönnfors' collection of miniature paintings, which he donated to the Turku Art Museum in 2004. The collection was exhibited for the first time last year. Most of the miniature paintings are Swedish works from the late 18th century and early 19th century, but the collection contains also several central European miniatures from the 17th century to the 19th century.

The Finnish Book Arts Committee announces that it seeks to "focus attention on books as art objects. In selecting the year´s most beautiful books, the committee looks for works that integrate content and design as well as possible. The criteria span the book´s graphic design as a whole, starting with the typography and ending with the complete printed product. The committee appreciates both the classic printing arts and fresh, new creative ideas." This time the committee praised, among other things, how both old and new techniques had been used successfully to create the book, and how the book as an object had been created on the content's terms.