The anniversary: 100 years Celestino Piatti

Celestino Piatti would have been 100 years old on January 5, 2022. In close cooperation between the association “Celestino Piatti – The Visual Legacy” and the renowned publishing houses dtv in Munich, Christoph Merian Verlag (CMV) in Basel and NordSüd Verlag in Zurich, a range of books will be published as early as autumn 2021: an opulent illustrated volume on Piatti’s life and work, a complete edition of his famous children’s books and a special edition at dtv, as a tribute to the book artist Celestino Piatti. First insights into the books will be posted here soon!

Pre-order at a special price

The illustrated book on Celestino Piatti will be published as a co-production of dtv and CMV, bilingual, German/English, approx. 380 pages, over 400 illustrations, softcover. CHF/EUR 59.00 The volume can be pre-ordered in Switzerland at a special price (subscription): CHF 45.00 incl. shipping costs. Reservations (please indicate the number of copies desired, address): info@celestino-piatti.ch

The illustrated book

The focus is on around 400 selected works. The selection includes iconic works by Piatti as well as unknown, previously unpublished material. It makes the formal diversity of his oeuvre as well as his graphic-artistic career visible.

Piatti’s decades of work for the dtv and his famous poster art form two main blocks. Further chapters present motifs from his children’s picture books as well as prints, political illustrations, paintings, watercolors, sketches and sculptures.

The individual works are contextualized in each case and commented with historical and current quotations. These shed light on the history of their creation and impact, point out details or emphasize special qualities. Thanks to the unique archive holdings in the family’s possession, it is possible to document the process of creation of individual works with photographs and sketches. In addition, contemporary witnesses who report on their collaboration with Piatti (clients, publishers, printers, collectors, curators) as well as contemporary artists and graphic artists* explain how and why Piatti works inspire them.

A curriculum vitae with previously unpublished photographic material completes the volume.