Penguin Classics is not the only publisher's book covers I obsess about. Let me introduce you to the Swedish publisher Modernista, in installments. For this first one I picked some favorites with female faces. What this publisher have in common with Penguin, except exceptionally great design, is publishing quite a lot of classics, mostly out of print Swedish authors. Modernista was started in 2002 by Pietro Maglio and Lars Sundh, the latter being one of Sweden's most influential graphic designers since the early 90's, if you ask me. And others, I'm sure. I don't know if he's responsible for all of Modernista's covers, but it wouldn't surprise me.
They are not very commercial, and Modernista unfortunately isn't one of the most profitable publishers, but I do hope they'll survive for a long time even so. I think what they're doing is gutsy and important, especially nowadays when the public mainly wants to read crime crime crime, and 99% of all crime covers are black with blood splashes and horror typography. Awful and tiresome. Not that these particular covers overflood with colour, but they are clean and inviting and intruiging and quite sexy, and the typography is amazing. So, thank you Lars Sundh, for bringing beauty to my world.
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