A while back, a friend forwarded me a link to a fabulous collection of antique books. The books were wonderful in and of themselves, but what made them truly spectacular was the art hidden within the pages. Not illustrations inside the text, but hidden paintings secreted in the fan of page edges.
The art is called fore-edge painting. When the book is closed the art is invisible. It can only be seen when the pages are fanned. While painted edges of books dates as far back as the 10th century for simple symbolic designs, the art of creating complete disappearing paintings can be traced back to a family’s coat of arms signed and dated in 1653 on a Bible printed in 1651. Edwards of Halifax and English bindery advanced the art with many finely executed landscapes and depictions of ancestral homes which were attractive to the British elite.
Often the artist would paint a picture that matched the text. For example, these double fore-edge paintings (double meaning one picture shows when you fan the pages one way and another appears when you fan the pages in the opposite direction) of the Garden of Eden and the Last Supper were found on a Bible printed in 1803.
Here are a couple You Tube videos that show how the artwork is hidden.
This one shows a seafaring scene:
This one shows a double fore-edge painting:
This art form continues today, especially in England, where artists have revitalized the antique book trade by taking lovely old books with gilt edges that customers have no interest in because of their dry subject matter, and increase their aesthetic appeal by adding fore-edge paintings.
If you could paint a scene from one of your favorite classics, which classic would you select and what scene would you choose to paint?
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I’ve never seen this before. Fascinating and beautiful! As if books couldn’t be more special. What a treasure it would be to have one of these.
I agree Carolyn. Old books are a rare treasure anyway but to find some with these paintings . . . what an awesome addition to my library. (A library that is way too crowded with paperbacks. The closest thing I have to antique books are copies of my old high school yearbooks. Ha!)
A dragon on The Hobbit would be pretty spectacular, or the old tapestry Hunt of the Unicorn on Peter Beagle’s The Last Unicorn. I wonder if one could do highly stylized quotes too? A “One Ring to Rule Them All” in Elvish script on one side and in English on the other. Oh, the possibilities!
Ooo – I’m getting little chill bumps just thinking about those ideas, Rachael. Very cool. I can picture those so easily. What a fabulous mental image! 🙂
I’d never before heard of fore-edge painting. Fascinating!
Aren’t they beautiful? I love that they are hidden when the book is closed. Holding secrets that only the bold will discover. 🙂
If I could do it I would paint a scene from Heidi in her home in the mountains or a scene from Little Women . This art work is incredible and beautiful.
I love the mountains, Shirley. Of course, I still see Shirley Temple as the face of Heidi. 🙂
Those are incredible! I can’t wrap my mind around having different images depending on the way you turn the pages. Amazing!
I couldn’t agree more, Cara. I was awed the first time I saw these.
Amazing! So much effort was put into those and could never be recreated in electronic books. Long live printed books! I would love to see an image of the garden in The Secret Garden.
Amen! Another reason for printed books to endure. You just can’t do this on Kindle. Ha!
I can picture the lush garden now, Donna. The gate, the roses, even the swing. Beautiful!
This is amazing, Karen! Thanks for sharing. I can only imagine how expensive those books are.
I know. I think it’s great that modern painters are taking old, dull books and giving them new life with this art. Too bad it doesn’t work so well on people. I could use a little sprucing up! 🙂
Laughing at your comment Karen. I think many of us could say that. LOL LOL Maxie
WOW! This is Fantastic. I ccan on ly think of Gone With The Wind. But if could remember better would probably find something even better. Maxie
Wonderful! I can picture Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh with the plantation in the background just like the movie poster. That would be epic, Maxie!
Karen that is so cool! I am going to try it when I finally get settled into a home again. Can’t wait. Since I do a lot of seascapes, maybe on Rebecca. I love doing gardens- like Donna said, The Secret Garden. My brain is spinning!
How fun, Sandy! I love that you have the talent to do this. If I tried one, it would have to be for Diary of a Wimpy Kid so I could draw stick figures. LOL.
If you do one, you’ll have to show us. I would love to see it. Rebecca would be lovely!
I will Karen…but probably have to practice on a few. Lol