Rafał Wójcik (Adam Mickiewicz University, University Library, Poland)
The Jesuit printing house in Poznań, operating from 1677 to 1773, was one of Poland’s most important publishing centers. Founded by Bartłomiej Nataniel Wąsowski, the rector of the Jesuit college, the printing house was located within the college complex and included a foundry and a bindery. Numerous publications were produced within its walls, including devotional prints, panegyrics, school publications, sermons, philosophical treatises, and hagiographic works.
The printing house’s typographic equipment included modern devices for the time, allowing for precise and aesthetically pleasing printing. The printing house was known for its high-quality typography, which resulted from careful selection of fonts and attention to detail in text composition. The books published by the printing house featured elegant graphic layouts that highlighted their content and gave them a unique character.
The aesthetic strategies employed by the Jesuit printing house in Poznań were in line with the Baroque style of the era. Publications often featured rich ornaments, decorations, and illustrations, which aimed not only to enhance the appearance of the books but also to emphasize their religious and educational nature. The paper will present the main strategies of aesthetic plays to the readers.