Of the Decorative Illustration of Books Old and New: 3rd ed.Crane, Walter
History
Of the Decorative Illustration of Books Old and New: 3rd ed.
Crane, Walter
Book ornamentation -- History; Illumination of books and manuscripts; Illustrated books -- Bibliography; Illustration of books
Mr. Cobden Sanderson has turned from the outside adornment of the book to
the inside, and, in association with Mr. Emery Walker, whose technical
knowledge and taste was so valuable on the Kelmscott Press, has founded
"The Doves Press" at Hammersmith, and has issued books remarkable for the
pure severity of their typography, founded mainly upon Jenson.
Mr. St. John Hornby also must be named, more particularly for his revival
of a very beautiful Italian type founded upon the type of Sweynheim and
Pannartz, the first printers in Italy. The Greek type designed by the
late Robert Proctor, based on the Alcala fount used in the New Testament
of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible of 1514, should be mentioned as the
only modern attempt to improve the printing of Greek, with the exception
of Mr. Selwyn Image's, which perhaps suffered by being cut very small to
suit commercial exigences.
Mr. C. R. Ashbee, too, has established a very extensive printery, "The
Essex House Press," which he has since transplanted to Chipping Camden.
He had the assistance of several of the workers from the Kelmscott Press,
and has produced many excellently printed books of late years, such as
the Benvenuto Cellini, and including such elaborate productions as Edward
VI.'s Prayer Book, with wood-engravings and initials and ornaments as
well as the type of his own design.
An interesting series of the English poets, also, with frontispieces by
various artists, has been issued from this press.
P. 218. The death of Aubrey Beardsley since the notice of his work was
written must be recorded, and it would seem as if the loss of this
extraordinary artist marked the decadence of our modern decadents.
A perhaps equally remarkable designer, however, whose work has a certain
kinship in some features with Beardsley's, is Mr. James Syme, whose work
has not before been noticed in this book. He has a powerful and weird
imagination associated with grotesque and satirical design, and
considerable skill in the use of line and black and white effect.
P. 267. In writing of book illustrators in France, a leading place should
be given to M. Boutet de Monvel, whose delicate drawing, tasteful
colouring, and sense of decorative effect, combined with abundant
resource in variety of costume, and skilful treatment of crowds, mediæval
battle scenes, and ceremonial groups are seen to full advantage in his
recent "Ste. Jean d'Arc," although no particular relationship between
illustration and type is attempted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account