Paris Saint-Germain, Au plus près des étoiles, PSG (book)

This post is also available in: Français (French)

Paris Saint-Germain, Closer to the Stars (book) by Julien Scussel. Brand new 240-page book in French with over 150 illustrations. Publisher: Assouline. 2023. Handcrafted linen volume in a linen clamshell slipcase. Large dimensions: W 15.51 x L 18.62 x D 2.83 inches. Weight: 20 lb.

Limited to 1,000 numbered copies, this book is a must-have for all club supporters. Illustrated with exclusive and never-before-seen images, this magnificent handcrafted book highlights the club’s key players, matches, and victories. Adorned with hand-inlaid images, it is presented in a lighted clamshell slipcase, making it a treasured collection to be enjoyed for decades to come. This book is available in English and French. Please specify your preference when ordering.

For six years, photographer Julien Scussel has enjoyed unprecedented access to the Parisian team and its players. Never before has a photographer gotten so close to a professional soccer team composed of international stars, constantly followed by cameras from around the world. The result: a behind-the-scenes look at a project that forever changed the stature of the iconic Parisian club and its impact on the world of sport and beyond. From this comes a unique book, bringing together a series of photographs that transcend traditional sports photography.

Nothing is ordinary in this book. International soccer icon Pelé partners with French author and screenwriter David Foenkinos, a loyal supporter of the club, to present and reveal, page after page, faces and bodies that evoke all sorts of emotions. From Paris and New York to Tokyo and Doha, all the figures who have contributed to the club’s fame are represented: Beckham, Ibrahimović, Cavani, Neymar Jr., Messi, and Mbappé.

For David Foenkinos, the book’s narrator: “This project promises to be a long-term reflection. Of course, players are often photographed. At this level of celebrity, most of their lives become public. But here, the project is unique in its artistic purpose. Some shots offer a close-up look, like a painting. We perceive the incredible details of the large images. We clearly feel that the photographer is driven by a constant quest for ideal lighting, like the great Renaissance painters.

The use of chiaroscuro is inspired by Géricault and Rembrandt. In some photos, the players even nod to a form of mythology. Julien Scussel is attentive to bodies and veins like the sculptures of… The Gods of Olympus.

Only in Paris do art and sport complement each other to such an extent. In just a few years, Paris Saint-Germain has become an icon of contemporary culture, a club of the new generation, shining beyond the football pitch and into the collective imagination.

Feel free to check out the additional photos at the top left, thank you!

If you prefer to pay in euros, =before= you start ordering, you must click on the word “Français” in orange, under the main photo above, which will redirect you to the same description in French and payment in Euros.