When I was looking through Francis Bacon’s book, Sylva Sylvarium: or, A Natural History (Knott 165), I noticed a signature on the third page— “T. Holt White.” This name seemed kind of random; it did not match any of the publishers or owners stated later in Bacon’s book. Because of this, I thought that maybe “T…. (read more)
This week I set out to answer some of the questions I had about my books. In my last post, I focused on the relationship between the fore-edge painting and the book itself. I was interested to see if there were direct connections to the owner of the book, the plot, the cultural context, the… (read more)
Fore-edge paintings is not something that you often hear about, even in art history. These rare paintings on the pages of books are very different than any other art I have previously studied. This type of book decoration is not something that you can see just be looking at the book; rather, it is hidden,… (read more)
I arrived in Museum Studies class on the first day of the semester having little to no knowledge about the mysteries that lie behind the scenes at a museum. However, according to my parents, I have been fascinated by museums since the age of three. In 1999, my family visited Italy and took my sister… (read more)
Fore-edge painting might as well be black magic to the uneducated. Before this class, I had never heard of fore-edge painting before. I had seen many old leather bound books in my life, but never with a painting on the side. When presented with one in class, my mind was simply blown. Of course,… (read more)
One of the first things that interested me about Francis Bacon’s book, Sylva Sylvarum: or, A Natural History (Knott 165), was the representation of the four medieval beasts in the fore-edge painting. I thought it was strange that someone would put a painting that incorporated elements from medieval fables on a book about natural history and… (read more)
Prior to my enrollment in this museum studies course, I had never heard of fore-edge painted books. Fore-edge painting is the decorative technique of painting the fore edges of books such that the images are revealed only when the pages are fanned. These paintings are like delightful hidden treasures to be discovered, and I am… (read more)
This semester, my class and I are embarking on a journey to research and exhibit fore-edge books. These books have secret paintings drawn on the edges of the pages, allowing the viewer to see them if they slant and bend the edges. This past week I have examined some of the Loyola Notre Dame Library’s… (read more)
