Opulence and adventure dance off the covers of this beautiful purple and gold journal.
This Picaresque design reproduces a stunning binding of Alain-René Lesage’s 18th-century picaresque novel, Gil Blas and Lazarillo de Tormes, a Spanish novella published anonymously in 1554.
Picaresque novels blend elements of comedy and satire in their depictions of a lovable charlatan. Published in the early 1700s, Gil Blas has been described by Edgar Allan Poe as being among “the finest narratives in the world” and was a key item on Thomas Jefferson’s reading list. And though it has come to define the genre, Lesage’s work was itself influenced by the story Lazarillo de Tormes. This Spanish work is what gives us the term “picaresque,” stemming from picaresca, meaning “rascal,” and it established the key features of a “picaro” character – a lower-class person surviving by their own wits in what is seen as a corrupt or unjust society.
These two foundational works of the picaresque genre were published together in a double volume in 1846, and our cover design recreates that publication’s binding.
Whether it’s through travel or creativity, we hope this Picaresque design inspires you to go rogue on your own extravagant adventures!
Picaresque is available as a hardcover journal, 2026 18-month planner, guest book, and bookmark.
