PADELOUP (PASDELOUP). — A family of French bookbinders active between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, of whom at least 12 members operating between 1635 and 1770 are known. Among them, ANTOINE-MICHEL “le jeune” (1685–1758), head of the workshop from 1712, stands out.
He enjoyed very great renown in his day; he was «relieur du Roy» (Luigi XV) and binder to numerous bibliophiles, including Count Henry d’Hoym, ambassador of Saxony in Paris.
The P. bindings derive in many respects from the «Grolier» (v.) style, with a greater abundance of ornamental applications achieved through tooling with small irons in the type known as «à la dentelle», of which A.-M. P. is considered the originator. He subsequently adopted the type known as «a mosaico» or «a ripetizione», with regular repeated compartments formed by linear and curved fillets of various designs and colors, obtained by applying very thin strips of leather in different colors to the boards—a kind of meticulous inlay work producing a rich effect.