XXe Siecle Lithographs

Make Money From Lithos In Books

What is XXe Siecle?

XXe Siecle is a French term used to represent the whole of the 20th Century and the art books depicted images of modern artists in the form of original lithographs were published as art by the founder Gualtieri Di San Lazzaro. Many popular artists contributed as Lazarro wanted to spread art amongst a wider audience and also so artists could reach a far wider audience.

To help with this they were printed in different languages, English, French and Italian as well as French where they were originally published. They have been published by various publishers for the European and American market including Zwemmer, Cahiers De Art and Leon Amiel. So always type in Lazzaro as the author to find them without typing the publisher’s name so you don’t miss out any. They were published in hardcover and paperback versions and some mainly paperback versions had the lithographs loosely inserted in the book. The later ones had them mainly attached somewhere between the pages in the book.

What is a lithograph?

A lithograph is a technique where an artist draws the image on flat limestone using greasy paints or wax crayons. The surface is the treated with chemical to separate the image from the non-image areas. Oil based ink is added and then the image is pulled onto the paper. As the artist had drawn the image they are classed as ‘original’ artworks.

Does XXe Siecle books have original lithographs in?

Yes, they do. They have between 1-4 copies in each book. There were between 100-2000 copies printed in the early issues and 2000-4000 copies printed in the later issues. Many of these may have been thrown out over time so there will be less of them today. They include original lithographs by artists such as Joan Miro as the image above shows. The first image shows the original lithograph and the second image shows the book which has the same cover. This is called Joan Miro Christmas 1960. Joan Miro was a regular contributor. Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Georges Braque, Henry Moore, Sonia Delaunay, Max Ernst and Jean Arp were also regular contributors. Marcel Duchamp was often in earlier XXe Siecle’s. Some have etchings or pochoirs (stencil). Most were lithographs but all are original artworks and are highly collectable as such.

There were 58 XXe Siecle books published. The first series started in 1938-1939. The second world war broke out and publishing stopped. Artists were in exile, there was a shortage of money and paper to restart until the early 1950’s. The bulk of the original artworks were produced between 1951-1980.

You can determine the original lithographs in the books as they are printed on a thicker paper, mainly arches paper. They are on a sheet of paper on their own without text. You will feel the thickness of the paper. Most of the books give an indication of where they are either on the list of illustration. They could be anywhere in the book so look at the list first. You are more likely to find them in the hardback versions where they are intact unlike most paperback versions where they artworks were mainly loosely inserted. Some were affixed though so keep a look out.

Can I make money from the original lithographs?

You most certainly can. Let’s take a look at some of the main points to help you.

There is estimated to be between 100,000-150,000 of these books published so there are many to be found. These have been shifted around the world since the buying power of the Internet has given us.
Many new booksellers do not know about these valuable lithographs and sell them at a low cost. Some of the books have two lithographs. Original woodcuts are also found in the book such as the Homage to Wassily Kandinsky including one in colour and three black and white. See images of these below. Woodcuts are done in a similar manner to lithographs but created using wood instead of stone. Also, because they were made in different languages some sellers who have copies of these books cannot read the different language so do not know about these ‘works of art’ that the books contain. Currently, these are sold on online art shops for £400-600. I have seen them being valued at professional auction houses across the country for a similar amount.
As more people become aware that these ‘original artworks’ are to be found in books then they will become less available intact in the books therefore harder to find a bargain.
The chances of you selling them are quite high as there are more buyers of art than ever before. Collecting art as an investment can be lucrative. Original lithographs are a cheaper version of the real thing rather than a painting on canvas. Lithograph prices are on the increase as original artworks by these French artists of the period sell for millions so way out the reach of the majority of us. Many of these are signed in the plate which increases the value. If you find a limited-edition hand signed to the outer of the plate then these are worth thousands if not tens of thousands depending on the number, the artist and the print run.
XXe Siecle’s are still published after the 1980 but most contain reproductions and not original lithographs so buy those before 1980.
Buyers want an instant piece of art in a frame. They don’t even consider looking for a book with an image. They would just see this as a bookplate. Most don’t realise or don’t care that their purchase is just that. An original artwork inside a book. You can list it as an XXe Siecle produced by the prestige Atelier Mourlot, as that is exactly what it is. Mourlot have been producing lithographs for over 170 years so type in that name when looking for original artworks such as lithographs, woodcuts etc.

Despite being a book lover and wanting original lithographs to stay part of the book where they will stay in pristine condition keeping their colours as vivid as the day, they were produced I must also remember that the publisher Lazzaro and the artists wanted us to cut them out and hang on our walls and enjoy them! The downside of this is that they risk becoming tainted due to sunlight and tobacco smoke.

We wish you all the best of luck in your new art business or as a collector. Enjoy the thrill of the search and handling these ‘works of art’.

These original lithographs and woodcuts were meant to be cut out of books so people could frame and hang them, some did, some didn’t. To a book lover cutting it out would deface the book in their opinion so the bibliophiles meant that many are still left intact. If purchasing an XXe Siecle book by Lazzaro ask if the lithographs are intact before you purchase if the seller has not stated this. You run the risk of alerting a seller if they research further though.
So, what are these original lithographs worth today in the book and out the book? Being a book lover this hurts to say but they are worth more out the book than it. Why? you ask. Surely the artwork intact in the book must be more valuable than it being cut out of the book. Being a bibliophile, it pains me to say it’s true. Those who have cut it out the book have usually framed the artwork. That is what they were made for to hang up on a wall.
Savvy sellers know that by framing them they are classed as artworks not as a book they and attract art buyers. The Wassily Kandinsky book can be purchased from anywhere between £15 upwards. One woodcut from the book can fetch £300-400 at auction or in an online art shop. Therefore, all four woodcuts could potentially earn you around £1600. You can literally make a living selling these. There are many original lithographs in tons of books but I have chosen these for the famous artists and their works will always increase in value over time.
If you do decide that you want to make a living selling these original lithographs online, I would suggest framing them in an acrylic frame so when you post them, they are less likely to break as glass does. Hang them up on your wall and enjoy them until they sell. After all that’s what Lazzaro and the artists wanted you to do.
Look at the double page Joan Miro double lithograph below found in one the XXe Siecle books. This is being sold for between £400-600 on online art shops.