Personal herbarium. Ekslibrises – small graphic forms by Krzysztofa Lachtara

Abstract

Bookplate is the ownership mark of a book, which bears the name and surname of the volume’s owner. It was supposed to protect the books against theft and showed the high culture of the owner. Once very popular, in the 20th century it changed its form and purpose. The bookplate has become a graphic art, a decorative sign, desired by bibliophiles and book lovers, a collector’s item and a luxury item.
Krzysztofa Lachtara, who comes from Rzeszów, is one of the few women artists in Poland who specializes in creating these small graphic forms. She works in the difficult technique of etching and aquatint, and she has mastered the artistic technique to
perfection. Her work mainly consists of bookplates created for friends or institutions. The most common motifs in her works are plants and insects, because the natural world is the artist’s fascination.