Shakespeare & Delval - Othello (Luxe EN)

Summary of the play:

The play is set in motion when Othello, a heroic black general in the service of Venice, appoints Cassio and not Iago as his chief lieutenant. Jealous of Othello’s success and envious of Cassio, Iago plots Othello’s downfall by falsely implicating Othello’s wife, Desdemona, and Cassio in a love affair. With the unwitting aid of Emilia, his wife, and the willing help of Roderigo, a fellow malcontent, Iago carries out his plan.

Read more on the play here.

A word about the project:

After the success of his Monograph, Julien Delval & Caurette Editions are delighted to present this new project, a magnificent illustrated version of Othello, one of William Shakespeare's most emblematic tragedies. Julien's talent combined to Franck Achard's graphic miracles have turned this project into a gorgeous book, which will be available in two languages and two versions, a standard one and a deluxe one.

The book we offer with this article is an enhanced version of Othello, with an alternative and textured cover, nicely put in a beautiful slipcase made from the same material.

And if you'd prefer the French version, it's over here.

About Julien:

After studying fine art, Julien began as an illustrator for role-playing company Multisim. One the most famous games he illustrated (among others) is the famous Ticket to Ride! After realizing numerous bookcovers for different publishing houses, he now mostly focus on more personal works, supported by the Galerie Maghen in Paris. The scenes he creates are taken from ancient worlds, mythology and fantasy settings inspired by classical painting and imagery of the 20th century.

A peak at Julien talking (in French!) about his work at the Galerie Maghen with one of its directors, Olivier Souillé:

"I have always been a fan of Shakespeare’s work, from open air recitals in the park in Cambridge to big screen adaptations and illustrated volumes by the greats Rackham and Dulac.

When I thought about which of this great author’s plays I would most like to illustrate, the tragedy of Othello immediately sprung to mind for its notoriety and timelessness. I also chose it for its fantastic setting: Venice, Cyprus, and the Mediterranean during the renaissance.

Of course, theatre is written to be performed and so what you see here is but a glimpse of the iconic scenes, settings and costumed characters of the play. I have taken a lot of inspiration from the opera backdrops of the 19th century, like those of Pierre-Luc-Charles Cicéri and Philippe Chaperon. I wanted to breathe a little of their distinct baroque style into the scenery and painting in order to reveal the internal conflict and fervour of the characters and thus what lies behind the text."

Julien Delval

Find Julien's work online: Instagram / Facebook / Blogspot

Some visuals used during the campaign are still "works in progess" and may change but if they do, we'll let you know and do not worry, the books will still be as beautiful as they look now ;)

For more info, please visit our website Caurette and to take a look at our crowdfunding campaigns, which ended (most successfully) on the 14^th of March 2022:

French version / English version