Demorny

Demorny is a display typeface that explores the foundational tensions of “modernity.” Rooted in the early developments of Art Nouveau (to which Eugène Viollet-le-Duc contributed key structural principles), it engages with the cultural imagination of Belle Époque Paris, a moment of intense aesthetic and social effervescence. The typeface also pays tribute to Mathilde de Morny, a queer figure of the era.

The project originated in the observation of the engraved letters on the Morny family tomb at Père-Lachaise, a monument designed by Viollet-le-Duc himself. These inscriptions reveal a singular tension: the rigor of a Roman incised structure inherited from classical tradition intersects with organic modulations and floral inflections that anticipate Art Nouveau. This coexistence of stability and ornamental impulse forms the operative principle of Demorny.

Rather than pursuing historical reconstruction, Demorny proposes a contemporary transposition of these formal dynamics. The drawing engages continuity of stroke, the internal tension of curves, and the permeability between structure and decoration. Ornament is not applied, it emerges from the very construction of the letterform.

Conceived for display use, Demorny asserts a strong expressive presence while maintaining structural integrity. It invokes the “modern” spirit and the pursuit of freedom that characterized the late nineteenth century, projecting them into a contemporary typographic context.