Most people have heard of the quote, “Life imitates art.” It’s not something someone would really think about daily since it’s quite a philosophical statement. However, a closer observation of your surroundings might allow you to see how it’s actually true!
Oscar Wilde coined the phrase in his essay The Decay of Lying in 1891, and it still manages to surprise us in little pockets of everyday life.
One particular French bookstore took this statement quite literally as its employees started to pose with book covers that blended seamlessly with their own appearance.
The result was an entertaining and captivating image like the one below, and it has caught the attention of the internet!
Source: Open Culture
A Bit of History
The library that popularized this trend has a proud and long-standing history. Librairie Mollat is the first-ever independent bookstore in France and has provided readers with a safe haven for unique reading finds for 121 years.
Today, it is known primarily for Book Face, a popular photographic series that combines life and book cover art.
Source: Open Culture
Book Face was inspired by Sleeveface, a trend where participants connected their faces and bodies with vinyl album sleeves.
Source: My Modern Met
Both Sleeveface and Book Face aims to align the artwork to the real-life individual’s own features.
Source: My Modern Met
Book Face creates an even more delightful collection of portraits to look at compared to Sleeveface, which used album covers with real people.
With Book Face, the book cover art varies from photographs to Renaissance paintings and graphic art, making the boundary between life and art even more striking.
Source: Colossal
Books with faces on the cover and behind them
Most of the photos suggest that Mollat’s employees are the ones having fun with the books as there are repeated faces and bodies featured with different covers. However, some are presumed to be customers who decided to join in on the fun as well!
The novels they use for the Book Face trend range from classic novels to comprehensive biographies and contemporary fiction pieces. Whether new or old, the mysterious faces behind each of these books turn it into nothing short of a modern masterpiece.
The Best of Mollat’s Book Face Trend
Those curious about the trend can find all the snapshots uploaded on Mollat’s Instagram account, where other library treats can be found. Enjoy some of the best from the Books with faces on the cover trend below!
Source: Open Culture
Source: My Modern Met
Source: Instagram
Source: Colossal
Source: Instagram
Source: Instagram
Source: Open Culture
Source: Open Culture
Source: My Modern Met
Source: Instagram
Having some books with faces on the cover yourself?
After seeing these uncanny imitations of real people and book cover art, try checking out your local library for some books with faces on the cover. Try even digging around in your home collection to see you can do the same!
Whether or not you choose to post your version of Book Face and tag Mollat on Instagram is up to you, but one thing is for sure: it’s a fun and different way of appreciating literature and art!
For even more inspiration check out this article on Blaze Press.
