Lessons in the Art of Illuminating: A Series of Examples selected from Works in the British Museum, Lambeth Palace Library, and the South Kensington Museum. With Practical Instructions, and a Sketch of the History of the ArtLoftie, W. J. (William John)
History
Lessons in the Art of Illuminating: A Series of Examples selected from Works in the British Museum, Lambeth Palace Library, and the South Kensington Museum. With Practical Instructions, and a Sketch of the History of the Art
Loftie, W. J. (William John)
Illumination of books and manuscripts
The beauty of the work executed in the thirteenth century in England,
and that part of what is now France which then belonged to England,
can hardly be exceeded. In this Plate are gathered a few examples of
the period. They are from two books, both in the British Museum, but
one probably written in France and the other at Canterbury. The
initials from the French manuscript may be readily distinguished. The
scroll-work is irregular and even wild, and in some examples the
artist seems to have aimed at nothing less than startling the reader
by his eccentricities. The volume is numbered in the Catalogue,
Additional MSS. 11,698, and contains a treatise on the art of war. The
letters numbered in the Plate 6, 7, and 8, are from this book. The
student will observe the simple scale of harmonious coloring, blue
predominating, as is necessary, and both yellow and also gold being
used to heighten the effect. In copying them the artist used these
colors, besides Chinese White and shell gold: namely, Prussian Blue,
Lake, Indian Red, Emerald Green, Indian Yellow, shaded with Burnt
Sienna, and Burnt Umber, with Sepia for the outlines. In imitating or
copying these initials, the student will find a firm but delicate and
even outline of the greatest importance. If the hand is very steady it
may be put in with a small brush, which is particularly useful in the
erratic flourishes in which this writer rejoiced so much.
The English letters are much more sober and rectilinear in character.
The T (fig. 5) commences the prologue of the Book of Wisdom, for the
volume is a Bible (Bibl. Reg. 1 D. 1), and a small portion of the text
is given with the initial as a guide to the arrangement. The colors
are the same as in the French examples. The lines and dots in white
are very delicate, and may be closely imitated by the use of Chinese
White with a very fine brush, care being taken not to disturb the
underlying color. This is the book mentioned in the General Sketch as
being the work of a writer named "Wills. Devoniensis," or William of
Devonshire. It is a small folio in size and is written in double
columns. At the commencement of the book of Psalms there is a
magnificent illumination covering the greater part of the page, and
showing, with much scroll-work by way of border, a series of small
vignettes, which include a crucifixion, and a number of scenes from
the life of St. Thomas of Canterbury, better known in history as
Thomas Becket.
A somewhat similar Bible, but not so delicate in workmanship, is also
in the British Museum (1 B. 12), and was written at Salisbury in 1254
by William de Hales.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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