Brieven
Letters from
Holland

Collected here is a selection of Dutch book covers; a sample grouping of a particular graphic format utilizing solely color and type.

The books issue from either of two publishers: Van Oorschot and Querido. The typography is comprised entirely of serifed typefaces, many being commonly employed letterforms such as Garamond, Bembo, Baskerville, etc., although most of the covers by Gerrit Noordzij are set in Noordzij’s own type designs, produced specifically for this purpose and none of which were released publicly. This selection includes three designers involved with the slightly varying graphic schemes: Gerrit Noordzij, Harry N. Sierman and Barbara van Dongen Torman. (Individual images specify which designer was involved with a particular publication.)

The effect of these distinctively reductive, proto-postmodern arrangements typify an understated sophistication (perhaps unsurpassed). The simplicity here is not slavish to modernist reduction; but a particular plainness born of choice — chiefly from the novel utilization of a serif in a minimal context. It is important to note that the books were preceded by decades of deep ornamental defoliation; the unexpected introduction of a serifed typeface into such an intensely reduced environment makes the serif itself seem decorative.
As well (up until this point) a serifed typeface was generally accompanied by an ornamental border — here the vertical rectangle was lessened to a color field. Further tension comes with the often equalized weighting of title, author and publisher. And since there is only an enlarged text with no decorative condition to ground it, the whole affair ends up a 1:1 ratio of form and content. The color ends up as something like a diverse and wholly sensual exploration.

This is a companion site to oerlaap.folkert.link
See also: gutenbergman.com

Designers

Gerrit Noordzij
Harry N. Sierman
Barbara van Dongen Torman

Typefaces

Apex by Gerrit Noordzij
Algerak by Gerrit Noordzij
Baskerville by John Baskerville
Bembo by Monotype
Garamond by Monotype
Janson & Kis by Miklós Tótfalusi Kis
Remer by Gerrit Noordzij
Romulus by Jan van Krimpen
Spectrum by Jan van Krimpen
Sudum by Gerrit Noordzij
Trinité by Bram de Does

(This site uses Guyot by ReType)

Publishers

Van Oorschot (link)
Querido (link)

Authors

Gerrit Achterberg
Vasili Aksjonov
A. Alberts
Robert Anker
Grigori Baklanov
J. Bernlef
F. van den Bosch
Chistine D’haen
Willem Elsschot
Jan Emmens
Desiderius Erasmus
Redbad Fokkema
Jaap Goedegebuure
Lloyd Haft
Jan Hanlo
JAC. van Hattum
J.L. Heldring
Abel J. Herzberg
Judith Herzberg
A. Roland Holst
Piet-Hein Houben
Constantijn Huygens
J. de Kadt
Ivan Katajev
Rutger Kopland
Wiel Kusters
Osip Mandelsjtam
Guus Middag
Jan van Nijlen
Leonard Nolens
Willem Jan Otten
G.J. Resink
Gerard Reve
Karel van het Reve
L.F. Rosen
M. Vasalis
Marjoleine de Vos
Leo Vroman
Gerard Walschap
A.F. Ruitenberg-de Wit
Karel van de Woestijne