Starting Thursday, the National Library is hosting the exhibition titled “The European ex-libris in the cultural heritage of the BNRM”. It showcases old books printed in the 17th-19th centuries that once belonged to aristocratic families from Europe.

According to the National Library, the ownership of the old books was marked by an ex-libris label, which in addition to its informational value also has an artistic value.

“The journey of books through time and space can be traced with the help of margin notes, ex-libris or notes left on their pages”, the National Library said.

According to BNRM, the exhibition is interesting from the point of view of the knowledge of ex-libris as a unique form of art.

“Visitors will become familiar with the books’ owners and their social status at the time. With this exhibition we want to remind the public about the personalized relationship between the people of the past centuries and their books”, the National Library said in a press release.

The exhibition will run until August 31.