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Fore Edge Painting

11/14/2016

 
Picture
Autumn by Robert Mudie / Special Collections & University Archives at the University of Iowa via This is Colossal

Kelsey Reiman

    Fore edge paintings are paintings that are concealed on the fore edge of a book and are only revealed when the pages are held and fanned out in a certain way. The fore edge of a book is the edge of the book that is opposite the spine. Traditionally the edges of books with fore edge paintings are gilded with gold in order to hide the image when the pages are not fanned out. While most of these paintings are on the fore edge, they can also painted on the top and bottom edges of the books. In addition, reverse fore edge paintings can be created by flipping the book upside down and fanning the pages out in the opposite direction. Therefore, a single book could have up to 6 paintings hidden on the edges, or two for each edge.
    In order to make a fore edge painting, the artist fans out the pages on the fore-edge of the book and clamps them in place. They then paint the image onto that surface, usually with watercolor paints. The artist uses a dry brush so that the pigments do not stain the edges of the pages. After the painting has dried, the artist un-clamps the book and un-fans the pages so that they are flush with the edges of each other. Then the top, bottom and fore edge of the book are gilded with gold so that traces of the painting cannot be seen unless the pages are fanned at the right angle (Bromer, "Fore Edge Painting: An Introduction").
    Fore-edge painting began in mid-seventeenth century England, and its invention is attributed to Samuel Mearne. Mearne was appointed Bookbinder to the King for King Charles II in 1660 and was responsible for binding books for the royal library and Bibles and Books of Common Prayer for the Chapels Royal ("Six Centuries of Master Bookbinding).
    However, the institution that created fore edge paintings most prolifically was The Edwards of Halifax Bindery during the 18th century. Wealthy patrons such as Queen Charlotte  often commissioned portraits of themselves on their prayer books and bibles. Fore edge paintings also depicted religious scenes, landscapes and architectural images. Few painters signed their images, therefore it is difficult to trace individual artists that created these images. Furthermore, it is difficult to discern whether the painting was created at the same time that the book was made. Consquently, the market for books with fore edge paintings is flooded with forgeries because forgers will paint images on eighteenth century books in order to increase their value (The Edwards of Halifax Bindery).
    It is hard to find contemporary examples of fore edge painting. Fine book binding is a niche within the larger field printmaking, which is niche within the larger field of art. But I believe that fore edge painting could have renewed conceptual value, as our interactions with books as tangible and precious objects becomes increasingly novel during the digital era.


Works Cited
Brommer, Anne C. "Fore Edge Painting: An Introduction." On the Edge: The Hidden Art of Fore-Edge Book Painting. Boston Public LIbrary, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. http://foreedge.bpl.org/node/923
Marks, P. J. M. "THE EDWARDS OF HALIFAX BINDERY." The British Library Journal 24.2 (1998): 184-218. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. http://www.bl.uk/eblj/1998articles/pdf/article13.pdf
"Six Centuries of Master Bookbinding." Southern Methodist University. Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2016. http://www.smu.edu/Bridwell/SpecialCollectionsandArchives/Exhibitions/SixCenturiesofMasterBookBinding/17thCentury/Mearne-Binding
Miriam Antonieta Carpenter-Cosand
11/15/2016 08:49:28 am

Kelsey,

I am so glad you wrote this. Now, two years ago I was fortunate to see a double-sided fore-edge painting on special collections. I fell in love. Since then surprise, the mesmerizing feeling of looking at that precious object. So last semester I try to do one. But I encounter with some difficulties, one being gilding. That’s why this research project I decided to find how people do it! And now, that I kind of know how it works, I will be able to do it. I am very happy to see that someone is looking at this beautiful art form.

Shannon
11/15/2016 01:43:37 pm

I love the idea of Kings and Queens putting their portraits on the edges of their prayerbooks. When fancy bookplates aren't enough, there's always gilding and painting. And the possibility of hiding secret messages is also intriguing. Would it be possible to have multiple images that would show if the pages were moved different ways, or would they interfere?

Lena
11/17/2016 01:08:02 pm

I had no idea that people ever did this. Thanks for the information!!!

The accuracy needed in order to fan out the pages just right is intimidating. How much of the paint can be seen on a single open page?

Also, that video from 1947 is spectacular.


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