Fore-edge painting
Encyclopedia
A fore-edge painting is a scene painted
on the edges of the pages of a book
. There are two basic forms, including paintings on edegs that have been fanned and edges that are closed; thus with the first instance a book edge must be fanned to see the painting and in the second the painting is on the closed edge itself and thus should not be fanned. A fanned painting is one that is not visible when the book is closed. In order to view the painting, the leaves of the book must be fanned, exposing the edges of the pages and thereby the painting. Another basic difference is that a painting on the closed edge is painted directly on the surface of the book edge (the fore-edge being the opposite of the spine side). For the fanned painting the watercolor is applied to the top or bottom margin (recto or verso) of the page/leaf and not to the actual "fore"-edge itself.
or marbling
is applied by the bookbinder
after the painting has dried, so as to make the painting completely invisible when the book is closed.
A double fore-edge painting has paintings on both sides of the page margin so that one painting is visible when the leaves are fanned one way, and the other is visible when the leaves are fanned the other way.
A triple fore-edge painting has, in addition to paintings on the edges, a third painting applied directly to the edges (in lieu of gilt or marbling).
Edge paintings that are continuous scenes wrapped around more than one edge are called (panoramic fore-edge painting). These are sometimes called a 'triple edge painting'.
fore-edge paintings, believed to date to the 14th century, presented heraldic
designs in gold and other colors.
The first known example of a disappearing fore-edge painting (where the painting is not visible when the book is closed) dates from 1649. The earliest signed and dated fore-edge painting dates to 1653: a family coat of arms painted on a 1651 Bible
.
Around 1750, the subject matter of fore-edge paintings changed from simply decorative or heraldic designs to landscapes
, portraits and religious scenes, usually painted in full color. Modern fore-edge painted scenes have a lot more variation as they can depict numerous subjects not found on earlier specimens. These include scenes that are erotic, or they might involve scenes from novels (like Jules Verne, Sherlock Holmes or Dickens, etc.). In many cases, the chosen scene will depict a subject related to the book, but in other cases it did not. In one instance, the same New Brunswick
landscape was applied to both a Bible and to a collection of poetry and plays. The choice of scenes is made by either the artist, bookseller or owner, thus the variety is wide.
The majority of extant examples of fore-edge painting date to the late 19th and early 20th century on reproductions of books originally published in the early 19th century.
Artists currently expert in the fore-edge artform include UK-based artist, Martin Frost. The reference book of L. Jeff Weber lists many artist and binders names associated with this art form, including those working presently (until 2010).
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
on the edges of the pages of a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
. There are two basic forms, including paintings on edegs that have been fanned and edges that are closed; thus with the first instance a book edge must be fanned to see the painting and in the second the painting is on the closed edge itself and thus should not be fanned. A fanned painting is one that is not visible when the book is closed. In order to view the painting, the leaves of the book must be fanned, exposing the edges of the pages and thereby the painting. Another basic difference is that a painting on the closed edge is painted directly on the surface of the book edge (the fore-edge being the opposite of the spine side). For the fanned painting the watercolor is applied to the top or bottom margin (recto or verso) of the page/leaf and not to the actual "fore"-edge itself.
Variations
A single fore-edge painting includes a painting on only one side of the book page edges. Generally, giltGilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
or marbling
Paper marbling
Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or...
is applied by the bookbinder
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
after the painting has dried, so as to make the painting completely invisible when the book is closed.
A double fore-edge painting has paintings on both sides of the page margin so that one painting is visible when the leaves are fanned one way, and the other is visible when the leaves are fanned the other way.
A triple fore-edge painting has, in addition to paintings on the edges, a third painting applied directly to the edges (in lieu of gilt or marbling).
Edge paintings that are continuous scenes wrapped around more than one edge are called (panoramic fore-edge painting). These are sometimes called a 'triple edge painting'.
History
The earliest fore-edge paintings date possibly as far back as the 10th century; these earliest paintings were symbolic designs. Early EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
fore-edge paintings, believed to date to the 14th century, presented heraldic
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
designs in gold and other colors.
The first known example of a disappearing fore-edge painting (where the painting is not visible when the book is closed) dates from 1649. The earliest signed and dated fore-edge painting dates to 1653: a family coat of arms painted on a 1651 Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
.
Around 1750, the subject matter of fore-edge paintings changed from simply decorative or heraldic designs to landscapes
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
, portraits and religious scenes, usually painted in full color. Modern fore-edge painted scenes have a lot more variation as they can depict numerous subjects not found on earlier specimens. These include scenes that are erotic, or they might involve scenes from novels (like Jules Verne, Sherlock Holmes or Dickens, etc.). In many cases, the chosen scene will depict a subject related to the book, but in other cases it did not. In one instance, the same New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
landscape was applied to both a Bible and to a collection of poetry and plays. The choice of scenes is made by either the artist, bookseller or owner, thus the variety is wide.
The majority of extant examples of fore-edge painting date to the late 19th and early 20th century on reproductions of books originally published in the early 19th century.
Artists currently expert in the fore-edge artform include UK-based artist, Martin Frost. The reference book of L. Jeff Weber lists many artist and binders names associated with this art form, including those working presently (until 2010).
Books
- Carl Jefferson Weber, A Thousand and One Fore-edge Paintings. Waterville, Colby College Press, 1949.
- Carl Jefferson Weber, Fore-edge painting: a historical survey of a curious art in book decoration, Harvey House, 1966.
- L Jeff Weber, Annotated Dictionary of Fore-edge Painting Artists & Binders; The Fore-edge Paintings of Miss C. B. Currie with a catalogue raironné. Los Angeles, 2010.
External links
- Fore edge video includes video examples
- Fore-edge painting from boingboing.net
- More Fore-edge painting from boingboing.net
- Fore-edge painting from Stanford University
- Fore-edge painting, including pictures from ibooknet
- Fore-edge paintings from the Boston Public Library
- Grand Valley State University fore-edge paintings digital collections
- The Bentley Rare Book Gallery, Kennesaw State University includes video examples
- George Peabody Library Collection of Fore-edge Paintings & Decorated Bindings