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© Alfonso Gómez
© Alfonso Gómez
© Alfonso Gómez
© Alfonso Gómez

Luis Mínguez Serrano

  • Bookbinder
  • Santorcaz, Spain
  • Master Artisan
Luis Mínguez Serrano Bookbinder
Contact
Spanish
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+34 918840468
© Alfonso Gómez

Mastering the art of bookbinding

  • • His work is like a secret passed on only through word of mouth
  • • He binds the winning books of the literary prize Premio Cervantes
  • • His dream is to one day open a bookbinding school

Luis A. Mínguez Serrano is a skilled artisan, but likes to describe himself as an artist. He restores book covers (the oldest dates back to the 12th century) bringing their original features back to life, as well as devising and making covers for contemporary novels, poems and art books. He is very discreet; you won't find him and his creations either on social media or in a physical store. So the only way his work is discovered is through word of mouth. Each of his covers is a unique work of art and the result of hours of painstaking effort that has gained him the appreciation of connoisseurs, historians and art collectors. Thirty years after taking over from his father, he carries on with passion and dedication.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Alfonso Gómez
  • © Alfonso Gómez
  • © Alfonso Gómez
  • © Alfonso Gómez
  • © Alfonso Gómez
Photo: © Alfonso Gómez
Case for book of lithographs by Giorgio Chirico

This hand shaped leather case comprises two pieces that are perfectly fitted to one another. On the left is a case housing a book on lithographs by Giorgio Chirico, and on the right is a window insert created to fit perfectly into the case, thus closing it. The image on the case represents the anteroom of Mount Olympus, with Apollo depicted at the far end of the atrium.

Length 32 cm
Width 24 cm

Photo: © Alfonso Gómez
Giorgio Chirico lithographs

This leather-bound book contains the first lithographs on mythology that Giorgio Chirico created. The image depicts the hands of Giorgio Chirico. On the right he holds a ball, the symbol of the world of the gods. Within this, Apollo appears at the far end of an atrium. On the left, his hand is feeding or painting a dragon born from the water of a river leading to Mount Olympus.

Length 30 cm
Width 48 cm

Photo: © Alfonso Gómez
Historia del Toreo (The History of Bullfighting)

The cover of this leather-bound book, a history of bullfighting, has been decorated with romantic era motifs. The surface of the leather has been lightly embossed and Luis hand finished the cover with intricate gilded patterns.

Length 30 cm
Width 48 cm
Height 3.5 cm

Photo: © Alfonso Gómez
Protective sleeve for the book l'Atlantide by Pierre Benôite

Luis created this protective sleeve for a limited edition of l'Atlantide by Pierre Benôite using sky blue suede and goatskin. Luis embossed the leather and painted a yellow mosaic pattern representing the continent of Atlantis. The blue suede represents the sea that surrounded the mythical continent.

Length 32 cm
Width 22 cm

Photo: © Alfonso Gómez
Señora de Rojo Sobre Fondo Gris

The front cover of this leather-bound edition of Miguel Delibes’s Senora de Rojo Sobre Fondo Gris features the image of a woman from Spanish high society wearing a pearl necklace. A heart-shaped 'm' on her chest symbolises love as well as the author's first name, while in the centre of the heart the 'd' stands for Delibes. Over the woman’s head, Luis has incorporated olive root wood with many knots, symbolising the philosophical thoughts of the woman.

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