,transcriber's ,notes3 ,underscores 80 before and after a word or phrase indicate italics in the original text4 ,equal signs 80 before and after a word or phrase indicate bold in the original text4 ,small capitals have been converted to ,,solid capitals4 ,old or antiquated spellings have been preserved4 ,typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered4 ,a ,,primer ,,of ,the ,art of ,illumination ,for the ,use of ,beginners2 ,,with ,a ,,rudimentary ,,treatise ,,on ,,the ,,art1 ,,practical ,,directions ,,for ,,its ,,exercise1 ,,and ,,examples ,,taken ,,from ,,illuminated ,,mss4 ,,by ,f4 ,,delamotte4 ,london3--,e4 ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #af1 ,,bucklersbury4 #ahfj4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,,bowles ,,and ,,sons1 ,,george ,,street1 ,,mansion ,,house1 ,e4,c4 ,contents4 ,,page4 ,preface v4 ,,part ,i4 ,history1 ,definition1 and ,characteristics of ,illumination vii4 ,reference to ,specimens at the ,british ,museum xxvii4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,practical ,directions xxxii4 ,colours xxxiii4 ,appendix xliv4 ,plates4 ,monograms3 #gth and #hth centuries i4 ,from the ,bible of ,charles the ,bald1 #ith century ii4 ,from a ,bible1 #abth century iii4 ,opus ,anglicum iv4 ,hours of ,s4 ,louis v4 ,les ,merveilles du ,monde1 #adji vi4 ,chronicles of ,england1 ,edward ,,iv4 vii4 ,hours of ,henry ,,vii4 viii4 ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany ix4 #adth and #aeth centuries--,initials x4 ,ditto xi4 ,italian ,initials xii4 ,outlines of the above xiii4 to xx4 ,illustration ,preface4 ,as the taste for illumination continues to spread1 the want of an elementary work on the art becomes more and more keenly felt4 ,persons possessed of real artistic skill turn their attention to it1 and after designing and executing work which1 according to all the rules of art known to them1 ought to produce a correct and pleasing result1 are amazed at the ungainly conglomeration which is the reward of their labour4 ,the secret of this is1 they are unacquainted with the fundamental principles of the art4 ,others1 setting to work in a safer way1 place before them a specimen of medival illuminating work1 and endeavour to produce an accurate copy of it2 they too are amazed at finding that1 after all the pains bestowed on it1 their copy has an effect so different from that of the original4 ,the secret of this is1 they are unacquainted with the peculiar method of manipulating the colours1 c4 used in illuminating4 ,what both need is1 elementary instruction in--first--the principles2 and1 secondly--the practice of the art4 ,it is to supply this want that the #8,,primer ,,of ,,illumination' has been conceived4 ,it contains just so much instruction on the history and principles of the art1 as may serve to fix on certain definite bases1 the wandering and somewhat hazy notions of people on the subject1 and enable them1 by reference to good examples1 to erect their own superstructure on a certain foundation2 and just so much instruction in the practical part of the art as may enable them1 in a great measure1 to teach themselves how to practise it4 ,advice is also given on the selection and purchase of colours1 instruments1 c41 and a progressive set of studies1 printed both in outline and in the proper colours1 and gold1 is added to furnish models for copying4 ,incidentally1 an effort has been made to correct a few of the prevalent popular errors on the subject--such1 for instance1 as that every illuminated service book is a #8missal1' and so forth--and which errors stand sorely in the way of the beginner's right comprehension of the subject4 ,all the examples selected have been taken from undoubted authorities1 and will be recognized by persons acquainted with medival books4 ,illustration ,part ,i4 ,in a work of a merely practical character anything like a critical or historical dissertation on the art of illumination would of course be out of place4 ,the growing or rather reviving taste in this and neighbouring countries which has during the last twenty or thirty years brought to light such vast treasures of medival art1 which had lain for three centuries buried under a heap of pseudo-classical rubbish1 has elicited amongst its most pleasing features a host of works on illumination which1 without exhausting a subject which is inexhaustible1 have at least contributed largely to place this beautiful art on its proper pedestal1 and investigate and develope the rules by which it is governed4 ,these works are of course of different pretensions and varying beauty1 though of the majority it may fairly be alleged that they are magnificent and brilliant specimens of typography1 and that the research and ability displayed in their contents are fully equal to the beauty of their illustrations4 ,from such works the history of the rise and progress1 the culmination and decadence of the art may be easily traced1 and a catena of characteristics constructed4 ,the principal defect exhibited by almost all these works is that their 7necessarily7 large price places them out of the reach of all but the wealthy1 and it may be added that even when access can be obtained to them they are found to contain no practical directions for cultivating and practising the art of which they treat4 ,it is the object of this little work to supply this deficiency1 to place within every one's reach just the sort of information and instruction which a master might be supposed to give his pupil1 and to enable persons with a taste for illuminating to answer for themselves the universally-asked question1 8,how am ,i to set about it80 ,what illumination really is1 or rather what is and what is not illumination1 in the strict sense of the word1 it is not so easy to define as might be supposed4 ,define it as ornamental letter writing2 but every ornamental letter is not necessarily an illuminated one--witness our shop fronts for instance4 ,illumination is extending1 it is true1 to them1 and has been employed in some instances with marked success3 but a mere tyro can select two specimens1 and say without a moment's hesitation which is and which is not illumination1 and yet it would puzzle an experienced illuminator to define logically the difference4 ,it is not however so material to hunt for definitions1 as by acquaintance and experience to acquire such a general knowledge of its leading characteristics as will enable the mind to arrive at that by instinct1 which it is difficult to do by definition4 ,for most purposes it may perhaps suffice to define it as a peculiar system of ornamenting manuscript or letterpress1 which leaves the body of the matter intact1 or only fills up the hiatus at the ends of paragraphs1 bestows on the initial letter or letters an ornamentation more or less elaborate and profuse1 extends that ornamentation along the top and down the left side of the matter1 or still further extending1 envelopes the whole in a sort of framework of colour1 gilding1 c4 ,this description will do for addresses1 charters1 scroll work and the like1 as well as for what have ever afforded the greatest scope for illumination--books4#a #a ,single psalms1 prayers1 hymns1 pieces of poetry1 c4 written or printed with the aid of illumination1 are merely representations of leaves out of books4 ,it has been announced already that there is no intention of introducing into this work a dissertation on the history of illumination4 ,it is however essential to the successful study of the art1 even in its most moderate form1 to obtain some general notion of its rise and progress1 and of the sort of works1 and of what dates to look into1 for the best and most characteristic specimens4 ,in furnishing a key to this portion of the study1 we propose to avail ourselves1 by way of illustration1 of specimens1 accessible to all without charge1 namely1 those displayed in the glass cases of the king's library1 and adjoining manuscript saloon at the ,british ,museum4 ,where1 when1 and how the idea of ornamenting writings first sprung into existence1 is as immaterial as it is difficult to discover4 ,it is the fashion to ascribe its origin1 in common with that of many other arts and sciences1 to the ,east2 and indeed1 the presence at the ,museum of several beautiful specimens of oriental illuminated ,,mss4 would appear to denote a very high condition of the art in ,persia and ,hindostan at an early date2 but in reality it is not improbable that the art was springing into existence simultaneously1 or nearly so1 in several parts of the world at once4 ,the styles of the oriental illumination already alluded to1 of the ancient ,byzantine1 of the early ,roman1 and the ,hibernian1 are fundamentally dissimilar1 and probably came into existence independently of each other4 ,it is from the last-named country--,ireland--then far in advance of all neighbouring lands in civilization and learning1 that it seems most probable ,england first received the art4 ,history informs us of what was done for the then inhabitants of this country by missionary monks from the island of ,st4 ,patrick1 and there can be no doubt they would bring their service books1 or at least the art of writing them1 along with them1 and so spread the knowledge of their art side by side with that of their religion2 and it is remarkable that one of the earliest1 if not the earliest specimens of the art of illumination extant in this country1 is a copy of the ,gospels made for ,macbrid ,mac ,dernan1 in 7as is supposed7 the year #hhe1 and now to be found in the library at ,lambeth ,palace4 ,the style of this very early age of the art is quaint but highly characteristic4 ,it shares with the ,byzantine a severity and simplicity of outline1 and an intricacy of interlacing in the details1 which are very striking--one specimen in our first page of examples1 it may be added1 is taken from this curious work4 ,once in ,england the ,hibernian element would naturally meet1 mingle with1 and finally be absorbed in the ever-progressing and improving tide of taste setting in from the ,continent1 or spontaneously springing out of the varying developments of art and science in ,england itself4 ,we are not therefore surprised to find--and this must ever be borne in mind--that the science of architecture and the sister arts of illuminating1 metal working1 wood carving1 embroidery1 and perhaps we may add fresco painting1 passed on hand in hand through a nearly parallel course of development through the middle ages1 all culminating together1 as far as chasteness of design and elegance of execution were concerned1 in the #acth and #adth centuries1 and as far as profuseness and richness of ornamentation were concerned1 in the #aeth2 and all together sinking out of sight during the ,reformation4 ,and the reason why1 in obtaining a general view of the progress of one--as illumination--it is wise to keep the others in mind1 is1 that each serves1 and especially architecture as a sort of memoria technica to the rest4 ,thus whilst the severe straight lines and semicircles of the ,norman school prevail1 a corresponding simplicity of outline characterizes the illuminations of the period2 the same grotesque lizard-shaped monsters1 which twine themselves round the capitals of the columns form the components or terminals of the initials in the service books2 and even a resemblance may be traced between1 at least1 one kind of beading and the exterior ornamentation of the writing4 ,when the graceful and luxuriant curves of foliage begin to steal into the pages of the ,,ms4 they are to be found also forming the capital of the column1 though here it must be confessed the former somewhat outruns the latter--a style of illumination generally known as the opus ,anglicum1 and claimed as the peculiar invention of this country1 having been in use more than a century before the foliage1 which is one of its characteristics1 appears in the capital4 ,further on1 when flowers are added to foliage in the one1 they appear in the other2 when the angular principle is introduced into architecture1 it shews itself in illumination2 and when outline is in the one almost buried under prodigal elaboration of detail1 the other seems to have all the riches1 animal as well as vegetable1 of the park and the flower garden1 poured over its pages to smother the text4 ,illustration ,the leading characteristics of the different principles of illumination1 as developed during an investigation into specimens1 of the changes successively introduced as above1 will be found to be-- #ast4--,the component parts of the initial itself are made the subject of ornamentation2 sometimes by the contortion of a dragon or some other pliable animal into a grotesque parody of the shape of the letter2 sometimes by forming it of a combination of geometric figures1 resulting from an endless crossing of lines1 the whole terminating in heads or other parts of the same sort of creatures2 sometimes by the introduction of foliage in a more or less integral manner4 #bnd4--,the ornamentation oozing over as it were beyond the limits of the letter itself1 extends in a straggling manner upwards and downwards1 or downwards and along1 forming a partial fringe to the corner or margin of the page4 #crd4--,the initial regains its simplicity of outline1 but is laid upon a cartouche of ornamental work or of diaper work1 the species of ornamentation mentioned in ,no4 #b being nearly detached from the letter1 and forming a kind of canopy--or1 as it is customary to call it #8bracket'--over it4 #dth4--,the bracket is extended all round the page1 and becomes an illuminated border4 ,illustrations1 such as scenes1 portraits1 c4 are introduced within4 ,the initial dwindles1 as does the space for the text1 which frequently occupies but a tiny islet1 in the midst of a sea of rich decoration4 ,illustration ,the whole of these resolve themselves into two leading principles3 the one where the initial itself is the illumination1 and its outline and component parts are the subject of treatment4 ,the other1 where the initial remains in its simplicity of outline1 and the ornamentation is bestowed on what surrounds it1 or on that on which it is imposed4 ,our list of examples from the ,british ,museum will be found to contain specimens of nearly all the different styles we have alluded to1 and to display most of the leading characteristics4 ,it is hardly necessary to add1 that there are vast treasures of this art lying at the same place1 and to be got at with a little trouble1 and from these it would have been easy enough to have selected some more favourable specimens of some of the styles2 and it is to be hoped that a larger proportion of these treasures1 than the somewhat meagre allowance at present placed within the reach of the general public may some day be made generally accessible4 ,in this work1 for the reason already stated1 nothing has been included which is not open to all the world to inspect4 ,it should further be prefaced that the ,italian specimens have been placed by themselves1 partly because the majority of them belong to a different school1 in which the classical element naturally introduces itself to a greater or less extent1 and partly because they well deserve a distinct examination1 being in general far more richly executed than the others1 7and they belong besides all to one period1 the latter half of the #aeth and the very beginning of the #afth century47 ,no distinction has been made between ,,ms4 and printed works in the selection1 because the large majority of the illuminations in the latter--amounting in our selection to all but one--are done by hand1 and are therefore quite as useful by way of study as if they appeared on the most undoubted vellum ,,ms4 that had ever borne the scrutiny of all the archologists4 ,separate mention also is made of the ,oriental illuminations4 ,it is perhaps hardly necessary to add that nearly all the specimens will be found to have been taken from books1 for the simple reason that by far the larger proportion of all medival illumination was bestowed upon them3 of these it is not surprising to find ,ecclesiastical works coming in for the largest share of attention4 ,the service books in use in medival days1#b in churches and cathedrals1 were numerous2 and being1 as to a large part of their contents1 accompanied by the old musical notation1 executed in a large bold type1 were necessarily of considerable size2 indeed1 as a general rule1 about that of our modern music paper1 that is1 rather larger than the prayer books generally in use in our cathedrals in these days4 ,of these service books some of the principal were--the ,missal or ,mass book1 the ,lectionary1 which contained the lessons for each day1 the ,psalter1 the ,hymnarium or book of hymns1 the ,antiphonarium or anthem book3 these were in constant daily use1 and there were besides a number of other books containing offices1 benedictions1 c4 for special occasions4 ,the book of private devotion1 in use among the laity1 was called the book of ,hours1 as it contained prayers1 psalms1 c4 for all the canonical hours during the day2 and for the clergy and religious1 there was the ,breviary as well4 ,the above list will convey but a meagre notion of the number and variety of the books in use in the middle ages1 in connexion with the service of the church4 ,it may be added1 by the way1 that the libraries of cathedrals1 monasteries1 and religious houses were well furnished with copies of the ,gospels1 and of the other books composing the sacred volume2 of which1 occasionally1 also copies found their way into the comparatively small collections of great men4 ,from the above sketch1 however1 it may be gathered1 what a field was afforded1 by this variety of books1 for the exercise of the art under consideration4 ,the large vellum sheets on which the various offices were to be inscribed must have been a source of almost revelry to the imaginations of such members of the monastic institution1 always in those days attached to a cathedral1 as were the fortunate possessors of artistic taste2 and it is probable that1 to the monastic body1 the work of illumination was always generally1 and through all the earlier centuries exclusively1 confided4 ,it was not until it began to assume a place as a recognized art1 in all probability1 that regular professors and practisers of it sprung up outside the walls of the monastery2#c but however and by whomsoever practised1 there was always plenty to be done--besides the regular business of replacing1 perpetuating1 and increasing the contents of the cathedral or monastic library--there were always great and wealthy men1 desirous of possessing for themselves1 or of presenting to their friends or patrons1 such books as a copy of the ,gospels1 or1 more generally1 a book of ,hours2 and the richness and magnificence of the work executed1 would bear a sort of exact proportion to the liberality of the customer1 or the greatness of the destined owner4 ,it was in this way that such splendid works came into existence1 as the ,gospels made for ,macbrid ,mac ,dernan1 already mentioned2 the ,lectionary presented by ,lord ,lovell to the church of ,salisbury2 the celebrated ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany1 generally understood to have been presented to her by ,louis ,,xii2 those of ,s4 ,louis1 of ,henry ,,vii41 of the ,duke of ,anjou1 of ,queen ,mary2 the great ,hours of the ,duke of ,berri2 the golden ,gospels2 the ,bibles written for ,charlemagne1 for ,charles the ,bald2 and a host of other magnificent works which1 at this day1 supply those specimens of the art which modern illuminators take for their models1 and occupy1 in relation to it1 the same place as the old masters' pictures to painting1 and the temples of ,greece and ,rome1 and the cathedrals of ,england and ,france1 to architecture4 #b ,see ,appendix4 #c ,there is good ground for supposing that1 in ,winchester1 during the #aath century1 there was a regular school for the art4 ,but the art of illumination1 though principally employed on works connected with the services of the church1 or with private devotion1 was far from being exclusively so occupied4 ,chronicles and histories1 and descriptions and travels1 as well as poems and other compositions1 and the classics1 all received more or less ornamentation1 according to the same rule of proportion already laid down for service books1 and books of hours4 ,dedications were common2 and what we should now call a presentation copy1 was frequently adorned with magnificent illustration1 in honour of the great man under whose auspices the work issued1 and of whom it was not unusual to introduce a portrait into the title or first page1 representing him #8as he appeared' receiving the presentation copy from the author4 ,of this kind are the ,recollation of the ,chronicles of ,england written for ,edward the ,,iv41 #adfj2 ,capgrave's ,commentary on ,genesis1 dedicated to ,humphrey ,duke of ,gloucester1 #adch2 ,old ,mandeville's ,wonders of the ,world1 #adth century2 ,lydgate's poem1 or rather translation of the ,pelerinage de l',homme1 dedicated to the great ,earl of ,warwick1 #adcj2 and many others4 ,of the classics many beautiful editions have come down to us1 both in ,,ms4 and printed1 illuminated with exquisite taste--the classic element being very naturally introduced more liberally here than into the books of religion1 or even of local interest4 ,the #aeth century is rich in such works2 and ,italy1 as might be supposed1 produces the best4 ,the ,king's ,library1 at the ,british ,museum1 displays more1 in proportion1 of these specimens of the art than of any other2 and many of them will repay careful study for the sake of their extreme chasteness1 the excellence of their taste1 and the comprehensiveness of their general arrangement4 ,it may be readily conjectured that books thus produced were exceedingly valuable2 indeed1 every one is aware what a serious and palpable effect the price of books1 before the introduction and development of the art of printing1 exercised on the spread of literature2 and though it was not every copy of every work that was made the subject of those brilliant appliances of red1 and blue1 and gold1 which glitter on the leaves open beneath the glass cases at the ,museum1 yet even ordinary and less pretentious works received some sort of simple ornamentation1 principally in the shape of giving the initial letters of chapters or paragraphs in colour1 filling up the vacant spaces at the end of either with a simple outline flourish1 somewhat resembling the earlier ,greek borders1 introducing red lines between the written ones1 and in general--to use a very familiar phrase--#8smartening up' the appearance of the work4 ,when1 however1 the artist and the skilled workman were called in to exert their energies1 and exercise their ingenuity on the more magnificent1 both of course had to be remunerated1 in proportion to the prominence of their part in the production of the work1 and the value of their labour naturally entered largely as an almost principal item into the heavy prices paid for such books3 it may be added1 however1 that the cost of binding formed generally an almost equally extravagant item in the calculation1 to understand which1 it will merely be necessary to look into one or two of the cases1 in the rooms we have referred to1 specially devoted to specimens of magnificent binding4 ,under these circumstances the value of illuminated books need be no longer a wonder4 ,we select1 however1 one instance by way of closing this digression4 ,the same ,duke ,humphrey1 of whom mention has already been made1 presented in the year #addj1 to the ,university of ,oxford1 a collection of some #fjj volumes1 among which there were #abj which were valued alone at #a1jjjl41 between #a1hjjl4 and #a1ijjl4 of our present money4#d ,they were the most splendid and costly copies that could be procured1 finely written on vellum1 and elegantly embellished with miniatures and illuminations4 ,the narrator feelingly deplores1 by the way1 the utter destruction or removal of all this magnificent donation1 with the single exception of a copy of a ,valerius ,maximus1 by the pious visitors of the ,university1 in the reign of ,edward ,,vi41 whose zeal was only equalled by their ignorance1 or perhaps by their avarice2 because these books1 being highly ornamented1 looked like missals4 ,it will be scarcely necessary to remind the reader that the treasures of the art of illumination in this country suffered--besides the weeding out of the ,reformation--a second grand onslaught in the succeeding century1 when the troopers of the ,commonwealth tore up and scattered to the winds the beautiful contents of many a nobleman's and private gentleman's library1 from the precisely similar reason that they were full of popish pictures4 ,the first raid was on the ecclesiastical1 the second on the lay libraries2 and that so many treasures of art escaped1 is probably owing to the circumstance1 that the more intelligent and provident1 both of churchmen and laymen--and let it be added those amongst both who appreciated their books as highly1 or more so1 than their plate--concealed them in cellars and out of the way places1 before the storm fell on them4 ,on the whole1 it would seem as though ,england has suffered in this matter more than any other country1 from the indiscriminating fury of bigotted fanatics4 #d ,of the collection of the ,duc de ,berri we read that some of the ,bibles cost #cjj livres1 a ,cit de ,dieu #bjj1 a ,livy #ce1 and so forth4 ,another class of subjects of the art to which allusion has already been made1 consists of official documents1 such as charters1 grants1 diplomas1 c41 the dignity of which it appears to have been not unusual to enhance by the aid of ornamentation4 ,as far as can be gathered1 however1 the custom seems to have obtained more in ,italy than in this country2 and it is only mentioned here1 partly as exhibiting a distinct department of the art1 and partly because one of the most striking specimens1 to which reference will be made1 is a grant by a ,duke of ,milan to his wife1 of lands in the territories of ,novara ,pavia and ,milan1 7#adid17 and which for beauty of conception1 excellence of execution1 and above all chasteness of tone1 has not its equal among all the specimens adduced4 ,such a grant is a sort of counterpart to our marriage settlement2 but this may be the best place to warn beginners not to confound law engrossing with illumination4 ,the former is--or was1 and might again become--a beautiful art of itself2 some magnificent specimens of it exist--the charter of the law society for one--but the arts are distinct and the characters different4 ,the only work in which the two frequently meet in these days1 and present in that combination a very fair reproduction1 by the way1 of these very charters and diplomas of which we are now treating1 is the engrossment of those singularly worded documents in which a public body is wont to inform an exalted personage1 that they 8beg to approach her with the profoundest1 c41 c41 c410 in short1 of an address4 ,there yet remains to mention another department of the art1 which during the last few years has become a very favourite and somewhat popular vehicle for its revival and development4 ,this is what is generally known as 8scroll work10 under which head1 though the title is strictly applicable to but one sort1 it is proposed to include1 for convenience' sake1 all sorts of writing on1 or attached to walls4 ,the growth of this department of the art may be easily traced in connexion with the growth of intelligence and learning generally4 ,in days when few besides ecclesiastics could read1 it was a very obvious mode of instruction--akin to what goes on now in the nursery and the infant school--to cover interior walls1 and especially those of churches1 with pictures1 illustrating1 either by actual historical events or in allegory1 those moral and religious lessons which it was desired to inculcate2 and many such fresco paintings1 as they are curiously enough called1 have recently come to light from under the coats of whitewash with which modern economy had carefully covered them up--and though this method of instruction1 through the medium of wall painting1 never quite died out1 and has been the subject of a noble resuscitation in these days1 yet it was again obviously natural that1 as people more generally acquired the power of reading1 and as1 simultaneously1 a feeling against any sort of figures inside churches--always except the lion and unicorn of the ,caroline days--sprung up1 those lessons which had hitherto been pictorially should now be directly inculcated2 in short1 that the picture book should be laid aside for the grammar4 ,there came to help a canon1 ordering the setting up of the ,lord's ,prayer1 ,creed1 and ,ten ,commandments1 and thus by degrees texts of scripture came to appear along the string courses1 following the spring of the arches1 or adorning the side walls1 c4 ,modern architects have availed themselves largely of this custom2 and in many modern churches1 not only are texts introduced as features in the architecture1 but also in quaintly-devised scrolls along the walls1 whilst the ,creed1 c4 have been made the vehicle of elaborate ornamentation at the east end4 ,that most of these instructive adornments of the walls of churches1 schools1 c4 are painted on the wall itself1 and so in a manner are taken out of the category of the art which is the peculiar subject of this work1 by no means deprives them of a place in it altogether1 for they are all as truly specimens and products of the art as what is executed on vellum or cardboard1 only bearing to the latter about the same relation as fresco painting does to the canvas picture4 ,at ,christmas time particularly1 as well as on some other festive occasions1 it is not unusual to see an almost indefinite multiplication of this scroll work executed on paper or cardboard1 and sometimes in embroidery1 affixed temporarily to the walls4 ,of these temporary decorations1 which generally exhibit strong internal evidence of their being the work of beginners1 it would be illnatured to say more than that they are specimens rather of hearty zeal than of good taste1 and that a rudimentary acquaintance1 even1 with medival examples1 might have saved them from inflicting pain on critical eyes1 whilst they would have been equally the admiration of the uninitiated4 ,a remarkable instance of this department of the art1 and one not unworthy of imitation1 is to be found mentioned in the #8,expenses of ,louis ,,xi1' in which a sum is entered as paid to one #8,bourdichon1 painter and illuminator1' for having executed in #8,azure fifty large scrolls1' which the king had caused to be set up in several places in ,plessis du ,parc1 and on which was written1 ,misericordias ,domini in ternum ,cantabo1 7,i will sing the mercies of the ,lord for ever27 and #8for having painted and pourtrayed in gold and ,azure1--and other colours1 three angels1 three feet high or thereabouts1 each of which holds one of these scrolls in his hand1 and appears to be writing the aforesaid ,misericordia4' ,this part of the subject must not be entirely abandoned without a passing mention of what may1 at first sight1 appear hardly to form a legitimate department of the art1 but which even a cursory examination of medival illuminated work will shew to have formed an integral and prominent feature in it1 and to be therefore fairly reckoned as a distinct section of it4 ,this is the ,monogram#e--the most ancient of all ornamentation used in ,christendom4 ,for on the walls of those catacombs1 into which the persecuted ,christians of the earlier centuries of the ,church's history at ,rome descended to celebrate their devotions and bury their dead1 and the long unknown treasures of which are still being brought to light1 the same or nearly the same sacred monogram is frequently to be met with1 as appears curiously twisted into the brilliant initiatory pages of the earlier illuminated books1 and a poor imitation of which is still to be seen adorning the front of many a red velvet altar cloth in our ,english churches at this day4 ,the use of the monogram1 however1 was far more extended than this4 ,in medival times1 almost every prince and great man had the initial letters of his name woven into a monogram or device1 which appeared in his books1 on his housings1 on the badges of his domestics1 in the architecture of his palace--everywhere1 in short1 where it could form a feature of ornament4 ,later on1 the early printers each adopted one1 and the practice has been thus gradually handed down to our days1 when the use of them is becoming almost universal4 ,it is a pretty and ingenious department of the art1 but requires some study of good models in order to arrive at its principles1 and prevent quaintness from degenerating into clumsiness or absurdity4 #e ,see example ,no4 #a4 ,in furnishing the beginner with some clue to the best styles for study1 there is considerable difficulty1 arising from l'embarras des richesses4 ,one of the best modern authorities on the art enumerates no less than nine successive styles1 exclusive of the ,italian1 all of which1 with a single exception1 present distinct features of beauty2 and the larger work1 by the same author1 presents three times that number of specimens4 ,from such a mass of materials as this1 elimination is not easy4 ,nevertheless1 for all the purposes of this elementary work1 it need only be necessary to enumerate four leading styles for study1 leaving for any future and more advanced work the filling up of the interstices between these four1 and the more expanded description of all4 ,the ,first may be referred to the earliest centuries of the introduction of the art into this country1 perhaps from the #fth to the #ith2 its leading characteristics1 which are rather distinguished by quaintness than beauty1 have been well described as #8an artistic and ingenious disposition of interwoven threads1 bands1 or ribbons1 of various colours1 upon black or coloured grounds1 varied by the introduction of extremely attenuated lizard-like reptiles1 birds1 and other animals1 similarly treated4#f ,the initials are frequently of enormous size1 and extreme intricacy4' ,a frequent peculiarity is the practice of surrounding all external outlines with rows of minute red dots4 ,the ,second belongs to the #ajth and #aath centuries1 and has been already alluded to as the opus ,anglicum4 ,the general characteristics are1 a border to the whole text1 constructed of parallel stripes1 or bars of gold1 between and around which a style of foliage1 in perfect harmony with the solidity of the framework1 intertwines itself in a graceful and quite peculiar manner4#g ,the ,third may be referred generally to the #adth century1 when1 as has been before remarked1 the art reached its culminating point1 as far as chasteness of design and elegance of execution were concerned4 ,the period has been well denominated #8a great artistic era1 when the architecture1 the painting1 the goldsmith's work1 the elaborate productions in enamel1 and the illuminator's art1 were all in beautiful harmony1 being each founded on similar principles of design and composition4' ,it is not easy to lay down any but a few leading characteristics1 as the specimens are as varied in construction as they are in the style of their beauty4 ,one leading feature however is1 the profuse use of what are technically called #8ivy leaves1' as an accessory to borders and initials1 and which1 tastefully handled1 produce very much the effect of filagree work2#h miniatures and miniature scenes1 coats of arms1 c41 are introduced at the corners of the page1 and at proper intervals along the frame border2 tiny birds of gay plumage are perched here and there among the foliage2 and the conventional acanthus begins to be associated with natural flowers1 c41 leading the way to-- #f ,see ,example ,no4 #a4 #g ,see ,example ,no4 #d4 #h ,see fragment of ,lectionary 7,salisbury7 ,british ,museum1 p4 #bg4 ,the ,fourth style1 or that in which richness and profuseness of decoration reached their culminating point4 ,the end of the #aeth and beginning of the #afth centuries may claim this style of which--though as of the last1 it may be truly said the varieties are countless--the leading characteristic is the solid border2 by which is meant that the foliage1 flowers1 birds1 animals1 c41 which hitherto formed an open border with no background1 are now as it were strewed about upon a carpet of gold1 or of some good background colour1 the effect being heightened by the introduction of shading to #8throw up' the objects pourtrayed4#i #i ,see ,examples #h and #i4 ,the ,italian style of the #aeth century to which alone reference will be here made1 is characterised more or less by all the peculiar beauties of the third and fourth styles just described1 but1 as might have been expected1 with a strong admixture of the classical element both in outline1 foliage and general treatment2 in fact1 it may be described as consisting of these two styles cast in a classical mould4 ,there is one species of illumination chiefly applicable to initials1 quite unique in its exquisite chasteness1 for which we are indebted to ,italy4 ,it consists of interlacing branches1 quite white1 laid upon a parti-coloured floor1 the effect being that a different colour appears through every adjoining interstice of the branches4 ,the background is frequently lightened by being strewed over with white dots4 ,the ,oriental style of illumination is principally characterised by a profuse use of filagree work and gold1 and by the introduction of numerous exquisitely-finished miniatures and miniature pictures1 in which it is not uncommon to find the faces drawn on tiny disks of ivory1 and attached to the page in situ4 ,of the character employed in executing the text of an illuminated piece of work1 it may suffice to point out--first1 that it should agree chronologically with the style of illumination adopted2 next1 that it should harmonize with it in an artistic point of view2 and thirdly1 that simple styles of character are preferable4#aj #aj ,delamotte's ,book of ,ornamental ,alphabets will be found an exceedingly useful guide in selecting appropriate character4 ,illustration ,the object of this introductory sketch being rather to lay down general principles1 leaving the student to work them out than to follow him through the whole study1 for which1 indeed1 there is no space1 it may be as well1 in the first instance1 to point out the two leading errors into which modern illuminators are apt to fall4 ,the one is a slavish imitation of medival models2 the other1 the unrestrained indulgence of the illuminator's own fancy4 ,both are vicious1 though the latter far more so than the former--for the medival illuminators had real taste and artistic feeling2 and the modern copyist1 by his slavish reproduction1 unconsciously appropriates to himself what they possessed2 while the other1 wandering about in the uncultivated wilderness of his own ideas1 picks up and piles together a mass of incongruous materials--of which1 when he has completed the extraordinary jumble1 he cannot in the least comprehend why the result is so unsatisfactory4 ,but the fact is1 illumination 7like every other art7 has its grammar1 and that grammar lies in the medival books2 but when the grammar is mastered1 there is no reason why modern intelligence should not be emancipated from the trammels of everything but its fundamental principles4 ,the principle of the construction of a border1 in the style of the celebrated ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany1 may be strictly adhered to1 for instance2 but the details and their treatment may be quite new4 ,nor because the figures introduced into an ,anglo-,saxon illuminated bible are generally dislocated about the hips1 and display a tendency to postures of the feet1 impossible even to the most flexible dancer1 is it necessary to reproduce in a modern illumination of the same style the same unnatural distortions4 ,and these remarks lead naturally to another1 namely1 that some study of the principles of the harmonies of outline1 of form1 and above all of colour1 is essential to the successful study of the art of illumination4 ,nor will anything more materially promote this study than a careful consideration of the harmonies enumerated1 as they are exhibited in nature1 both animal and vegetable1 but particularly the latter1 as something of a bower seems the fundamental idea of all the better styles of the art4 ,all sorts of creeping plants1 whether in the garden or the hedgerow2 all sorts of flowers1 exotic1 native1 or wild--nay1 fruits and many vegetables--as parsley1 notably--may be pressed with advantage into the service of the art3 whilst the graceful forms and beautiful plumage of the bird tribe1 especially of the inhabitants of the ,tropics2 the equally brilliant though more delicate plumage of butterflies and moths2 the symmetrical contour and tasteful combinations of colour in many quadrupeds2 and even the homelier insects which crawl about our fruit trees1 may be all studied with advantage4 ,the old illuminators were frequently happy to avail themselves of a caterpillar1 or a lady bird1 to break the monotony of a broad1 flat space1 or heighten the effect of a leaf1 or balance a too obtrusive colour in an opposite corner4 ,reptiles1 too1 may contribute much that is exceedingly beautiful1 both in outline and colour2 and in this respect again the ,tropics furnish the most brilliant specimens4 ,besides the book of nature itself1 then1 all sorts of works 7with coloured illustrations7 on ,botany and ,zoology1 may with advantage be consulted2 nor need ,conchology be disregarded3 some of the more beautiful shells forming admirable subjects of study for the illuminator4 ,and where books are inaccessible1 there is at any rate the department of ,natural ,history1 at the ,british ,museum1 open to every one4 ,lastly1 it will be useful to take every opportunity of marking how other arts have treated the same subjects--,architecture and ,metal working particularly4 ,such observations will tend to shew above all how the principle and idea of the natural may be translated into the conventional1 without loss of grace4 ,the carvings in the capitals of some of the early ,english columns supply the best instances4 ,for these last purposes the medival courts of the ,crystal ,palace may be made excellent schools--as the ,alhambra court1 for the study of colour in its richest combinations4 ,the ,kensington ,museum might form a general school for both4 ,we proceed next to furnish a catalogue of those specimens at the ,british ,museum which are best calculated to assist the beginner in his studies4 ,illustration ,english and ,french ,specimens4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------- ,,page ,,in ,,date4 ,,name ,,of ,,points ,,to ,,where ,,to ,,guide ,,specimen4 ,,be ,,noted4 ,,be ,,found4 ,,book4#aa ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------- #ith cent4 ,latin bible1 ,character ,,ms4 ,saloon1 #cj 7,,ms47 written on of initials upright vellum1 displaying ,case 7,a47 according to the first the ,vulgate1 principle as revised mentioned4 by ,alcuin4 #abth cent4 ,a volume of ,initial ,do4 a ,latin bible letters1 ,case ,,ii4 7,b47 #cj 7,,ms47 written for 8,in ,principio10 the monastery covering at ,arnstein4 entire page1 and interlaced4 ,abt4 #acjj ,the ,books of ,arrangement of ,do4 the ,maccabees4 illustrations1 ,north table in rows of ,case1 #dth #bi 7,,ms47 medallions-- compartment displays 7,d47 little or no principle--but is curious4 ,end #adth or ,fragment of a ,this is a beginning ,lectionary1 brilliant specimen1 of written for though it has been #aeth cent4 ,lord ,lovell1 maltreated4 ,observe and presented the framework or by him to border--the filagree ,do4 ,salisbury4 work--ivy leaves-- #fth #cj 7,,ms47 miniature scene compartment illustrative--coats 7,f47 of arms introduced1 c4 #adic4 ,les ,chroniques ,all are well worth ,king's #bj7,,kl47 de ,france4 studying1 for the ,library1 #adic ,hours for beauty of the borders1 ,case ,x4 and the use of as well as for #adih4 the diocese general arrangement4 of ,rome 7,paris47-- ,pigouchet #adic4 ,l',art et ,a good specimen of ,do4 ,science de the counterchanged ,case ,,vii4 #ac7,,kl47 ,rhetorique border4 7,paris47 #adgj4 ,justinus's ,do4 #ai7,,kl47 ,abridgement ,case ,x4 of ,trogus ,borders and ,initials4 #adga4 ,fichet-- ,do4 #ai7,,kl47 ,rhetoricorum ,case ,x4 libri4 ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -------------------- ,illustration #aa ,the ,guide ,book referred to has three sets of pagings3 one for the ,king's and ,grenville ,library1 denoted here as ,,kl42 one for the ,,mss4 ,saloon1 denoted here as ,,ms42 the third for the ,prints and ,drawings4 ,italian and ,german ,specimens4 ,in the three first specimens selected1 an instance will be observed of a species of ornamentation to which the name of #8pottering' has been familiarly applied2 it consists of a sort of fringe to the initial and part of the text1 resembling in arrangement the #8bracket1' and in principle the flourishes of a modern writing master2 but when tastefully applied1 it is remarkably effective1 and has the advantage of being very easy4 ,,page ,,in ,,date4 ,,name ,,of ,,points ,,to ,,where ,,to ,,guide ,,specimen4 ,,be ,,noted4 ,,be ,,found4 ,,book4#ab #adee4 ,the ,mazarine ,initial1 red ,case ,,iii4 #a #g ,bible4 and white #adeg4 ,the ,mentz ,initial and ,do4 #c #h ,psalter4 border #adei4 ,do4 ,do4 ,do4 #d #h 7#bnd edition7 #adfb4 ,bible in ,a peculiar ,do4 #e #h ,latin4 and bold kind of initial4 #adfi4 ,livy4 ,the white ,case ,,vi4 #b #aa branch on parti-coloured ground 0 ,cicero1 ,initial and ,do4 #c #aa ,tusculan bracket ,questiones4 0 ,cicero1 ,the white ,do4 #aj #aa ,epistol branch1 c4 familiares4 #adgj4 ,cicero1 ,border and ,do4 #ab #ab ,epistol1 initial4 c4 #adhj4 sop's ,border4 ,do4 #h #aa ,fables4 #adha4 ,liber ,border4 ,do4 #i #aa ,psalmorum4 #adhb4 ,euclid's ,the white ,case ,x4 #e #ai ,geometry4 branch1 on parti-coloured background4 #adhd4 ,breviary ,border and ,case ,,ix4 #a #af of the initials4 ,camaldolese ,monks4 #aeja4 ,martial-- ,border and ,case ,x4 #g #ai ,epigrammata4 picture4 #aeac4 ,aulus ,border4 ,do4 #ai #bj ,gellius-- ,noctes ,attic4 #aead4 ,plautus-- ,border1 c4 ,do4 #bj #bj ,comedies4 ,specimen of a ,grant 7,italian47 #adid4 ,ludovico ,the ornamental ,miscellaneous ,,ms4 ,maria ,sforza work which ,autographs1 #ai1 #bj4 ,visconti1 occupies the c4 ,duke of ,milan1 whole upper to his wife4 part of this specimen is worthy of minute and careful study4 ,it is magnificent4 ,illustration #ab ,all these specimens are in the ,king's ,library4 ,oriental ,specimens4 ,,page ,,in ,,date4 ,,name ,,of ,,points ,,to ,,where ,,to ,,guide ,,specimen4 ,,be ,,noted4 ,,be ,,found4 ,,book4,a ,the ,sri ,miniature ,central ,bhagavat pictures1 table ,case1 ,,ms4 ,purana4 set in #ast #bb borders-- compartment illuminated #d framework- gilding4 ,the ,do4 ,do4 #e #bb ,durga-patha4 #crd #bc ,a ,bhuddistic compartment work and #bc and #bd ,hindoo miniatures4 #acje4 ,a volume ,illuminated ,side ,case1 #ca containing borders--use ,,iv4 7,d47 the ,koran4 of gold4 #afth ,khizr ,khan4 ,miniature ,central table #bd cent4 scenes and ,case1 border4 #dth compartment #cb #agth ,the ,diwan ,do4 ,do4 #cc #bd cent4 7,hfiz74 ,there are also some beautiful specimens to be seen at the ,museum of the ,east ,india ,house4 ,illustration ,part ,,ii4 #a ,paper4-- ,several obvious reasons combined in medival days to make vellum the almost exclusive vehicle for illuminated writing4 ,it was the substance on which most manuscript books were written3 it was durable1 and it took both ink and colour well4 ,it is still largely in use for the purposes of illumination1 and may be had properly prepared at almost any stationer's1 as well as at all artists' colour shops4 ,any drawing paper with a smooth surface may also be used2 but the best substance of all is the ordinary ,bristol board1 not too thick1 for there should be some little elasticity--three sheets thick is about the most useful4 #b ,colours4--,so much in illumination depends on 7#a7 the brilliancy and 7#b7 the durability of the colours employed1 that too much care can hardly be displayed in their selection4 ,instances are numerous in which work on which hours and hours of care and pains were bestowed1 a few years ago1 is now so faded as to be almost unintelligible2 the reds have flown1 the whites turned brown1 and a few hazy1 blue marks are all that are left4 ,it is clear that they of old surpassed us in the preparation of their colours4 ,some of the paintings in the ancient temples of ,egypt1 which have been proved to be only water colour1 are as brilliant and fresh to-day as they were when laid on three thousand years ago4 ,the exquisite miniatures and elaborate ornamentation of numbers of ,oriental manuscripts1 five1 six1 seven1 and more centuries old1 retain all their original beauty and gorgeousness2 and the medival office books1 and other ,,mss4 of ,england1 ,france1 and ,italy1 especially those of the #adth century1 are at this day as much marvels of brilliant colouring as the stained glass windows of the same periods4 ,to the beginner1 of course1 the character of the colours employed is not so important1 as to more forward artists4 ,still it is wise to exercise judgment in selection1 even from the first1 especially as in nine cases out of ten a cake of colour will last for years4 ,the best course is to make the purchases at one of the best artists' colour shops1 to eschew all #8made up' colours1 and to rely on the eye for producing at home the several gradations of hue1 by mixing the primal colours on the slab4 ,comparatively few are really required2 and as illuminating is a very different art from ordinary water-colour drawing1 and requires a peculiar texture of matter1 the colours most fitted for it are not always the same as those in ordinary use4 ,the following will be found the most serviceable3-- ,,reds4 ,,yellows ,,browns4 ,,silvers4 ,scarlet vermillion ,indian yellow ,the most durable mode ,crimson vermillion ,gamboge of producing this most ,crimson lake ,sepia delicate and sensitive ,carmine ,the latter1 mixed with of all colours1 is to ,the two last for lake1 makes a good use platina1 or the deeper hues1 shadow colour1 and aluminum1 and burnish and for shading4 shows well on reds1 afterwards4 or on gold4 ,see #8,tricks4' ,,blues4 ,,blacks4 ,,whites4 ,ultramarine ,indian ink ,chinese white is the ,permanent blue ,this will be found the most brilliant and ,the latter for the most generally useful4 stands best4 deeper hues1 and ,ivory black and lamp for shading4 black are both good blacks2 but genuine ,indian ink is as good1 or better1 and has the advantage of working well in the pen1 which the others will not do4 ,,neutral ,,tints1 ,,greens4 ,,golds4 ,,purples1 c4 ,emerald green-- ,the ordinary shell ,permanent blue1 ,use permanent blue gold2 but it will mixed with lake1 for the shading4 be found most will be found economical to best suited for purchase it in the illumination4 larger quantities1 ,the neutral tint as soldin ,porcelain sold in the shops pans and saucers4 is too heavy1 ,there is also a gold so is that medium1 the use of ordinarily made which as well as of up of indigo and the agate burnisher1 light red4 will be explained under the head of #8,tricks4' ,illustration ,pencils1 ,pens1 ,drawing ,instruments1 c4 ,the pencil being only used for sketching the subjects1 those marked ,f1 ,h1 and ,,hh1 will be found sufficient4 ,a few ordinary fine-pointed steel pens will do very well for outlining4 ,for the benefit of any learner not conversant with the use of the pen with colour1 it may be added that the method is1 to mix the colour1 very liquid1 in a saucer2 and then filling a camel's hair brush with some1 to draw the brush across the shoulder of the pen1 which is to be held with the open part upwards4 ,it will be found that enough colour is thus scraped off1 as it were1 to charge the pen3 by a similar method the drawing pen is charged4 ,it will be well to have a drawing pen1 a pair of compasses with pen and pencil legs1 a few drawing pins2 a drawing board1 #b feet by #ah inches1 or smaller2 a ,t square2 three set squares 7one #de1 the other two #gj and #bj7 and respectively #c inches1 #f inches1 and #i inches in length4 ,the latter will be found more practically useful than all sorts of parallel rulers2 but as their use is not generally familiar to any but architectural and engineering draftsmen1 it may be useful to add an explanation of it4 ,having adjusted the cardboard by means of the ,t square on the drawing board1 secure it by pins4 ,to draw any number of parallel lines it is now merely necessary to lay the ,t square across the cardboard1 in a direction perpendicular to that of the desired lines1 taking care1 of course1 that the cross piece of the ,t is well against the edge of the drawing board1 and kept firm by a weight2 and then keeping one side of the set square against the side of the ,t1 to slide it up and down as occasion shall require4 ,it will be found very useful both for keeping the ,t square steady1 and for tracing and other purposes1 to have a couple of small weights--lead is the best material--about the size of a child's large toy brick1 or--say--#c inches long1 #b inches wide1 and an inch deep4 ,any plumber can cast them4 ,cover each of them with a piece of foolscap1 or other paper not too smooth1 folding it up like a parcel1 and sealing the ends down on the upper side4 ,the advantage of this plan is1 that the envelope can be removed and renewed as it gets dirty4 ,handles to weights1 or thick weights1 are a mistake2 they catch the hand4 ,as greater neatness and accuracy in curves are sometimes necessary than can be attained by any but the most practised hand1 it will be found useful to have a few ,french curves2 these can be procured at any artists' colour shop1 or drawing instrument maker's4 ,three brushes will be enough4 ,washing1 as in water-colour drawing1 being never used in illuminating1 no large brushes are needed2 the largest need not be more than half the size of a lead pencil1 the second of course smaller1 and the third a very fine one4 ,they should be of sable2 and carefully selected for firmness1 compactness1 even point1 and absence of straggling hair4 ,a slab or palette for the colours1 and a separate saucer or slab for ,indian ink should be provided4 ,it will be necessary also to have an ivory point for tracing off1 and a small agate for burnishing and other purposes2 both are to be procured at the artists' colour shop4 ,of course tracing paper will be required--the ,french is the best--as well as a sheet of red paper for tracing off4 ,red paper1 though readily procurable in the artists' colour shops1 and perhaps most conveniently so1 is nevertheless simply and easily constructed4 ,any one who is desirous of making his own1 has merely to take a sheet of foreign post paper1 scrape a piece of red chalk over it1 and then rub in with a piece of soft chamois leather or wadding1 until the paper is evenly covered1 not making it too thick1 or it will trace off clumsy lines4 ,the beginner being now furnished with all necessary materials1 the shortest and most comprehensible way of instructing him in the use of them1 will be to take two or three of our own examples1 and ask him to follow us through the process of executing them4 ,to take a very simple one first1 we will select any one of the letters in ,no4 #c4 ,the piece of cardboard is supposed to be laid on the drawing board1 and kept steady by a single pin in the centre of its upper side1 there being no need for perfect rigidity as there are no squaring or parallel lines in this illumination4 ,proceed to trace the initial from the example by laying a piece of tracing paper over it1 with weights to steady it1 the same weights may be easily so arranged as to keep the book open as well4 ,run over every line with your softest pencil with a fine point1 and a light hand4 ,remove the tracing paper1 and adjust it over the cardboard1 so as to bring the tracing over the desired spot4 ,adjust the weights1 slip the red paper underneath1 take your ivory point and begin tracing off2 and of this1 let it be remarked1 that nothing but practice can give the beginner the requisite skill to make a good tracing4 ,a heavy hand1 or a broad point will produce a coarse tracing2 too light a hand1 too faint a tracing1 and too fine a point will cut through the tracing paper4 ,it will be well to make a few trials first1 and even during the progress of a tracing1 especially if it be an elaborate one1 to lift the lower corner of the tracing paper carefully now and then1 so as not to disturb the weights1 and to see that all is going on as it should4 ,the tracing being complete1 proceed next to outline it in ,indian ink1 with a pen4 ,for this purpose prepare some ink in the manner already described1 on its separate slab4 ,the ink outline should be complete--strong and weak where needed1 as in the outline illustration of our specimen1 and should be clean and firm--all this while keep a clean piece of paper under the working hand4 ,the outline being completed1 the next thing will be to prepare the colours4 ,for either of the initial letters in ,example #c1 red1 green1 and gold are the only colours needed2 and this may be the most suitable place for introducing a few words about what is technically called #8body colour4' ,body colour is very largely used in all ancient illumination1 whether ,english1 ,french1 ,italian1 or ,oriental2 but is most prominently observable in the ,italian4 ,it is obtained by simply mixing a small quantity of some opaque substance with the colour4 ,zinc1 or ,chinese white1 are most commonly employed for the purpose2 and the best mode of construction is to have the white in one of the metal tubes1 squeeze a drop about the size of a pea on to the slab1 and then rub the colour over it4 ,of course it will be necessary to introduce some colour a little darker than the hue desired1 as the white will lighten it3 thus for instance1 in order to obtain an ordinary blue1 it will be necessary to add a touch or two of permanent blue1 or the ultramarine will turn out too pale4 ,the advantages of body colour are twofold--first1 any body colour will lie flat2 next1 being opaque1 it can when needful be worked over other colour4 ,for the purposes of the illumination now under consideration then1 it will merely be necessary to rub in scarlet vermillion and emerald green4 ,be careful to rub plenty1 for it is a rule in illuminating that the colours should be laid on thick and powerful2 there are no faint transparent tints1 as in water-colour drawing1 but even in miniature scenes1 light colours are obtained not by diluting the colour with water1 but by adding white to it4 ,another rule is1 to lay on the largest body of colour first3 thus in the instance before us--first put in the reds1 taking care to lay on plenty of colour1 to keep within the ink outline carefully1 close to it but not encroaching on it1 and to see that your colour lies evenly or #8flat4' ,next1 put in the greens1 observing the same rules1 and finally the gold1 for it is another rule to leave the gold to the last to avoid rubbing as much as possible4 ,our next example will be ,no4 #g4 ,trace and outline as before4 ,proceed next to put in the ultramarine blues in the acanthus and flowers2 next the permanent blue in the darker hues of both as well as in the initial1 taking care1 both in acanthus and flowers1 to keep the curves clean and bold4 ,now colour the green leaves with emerald green1 the darker lines as directed with permanent blue4 ,the reds in the flowers follow next--all1 except that in the right hand lower corner--with crimson lake1 the darker hues being touched in with permanent blue1 which1 combining with the lake1 will produce the neutral tint before referred to4 ,the excepted corner flower will require crimson vermillion1 shaded with sepia and lake4 ,crimson vermillion will also furnish the colour for the red flowers in the initial4 ,lastly1 put in the golds1 shading with sepia and lake4 ,the last ,example we select is ,no4 #i4 ,here1 as in ,no4 #c1 proceed to trace1 c4 as directed1 only in this case the ,t square and set squares will come into play for the outlines of the border1 both in tracing1 tracing off1 and in outlining--use the drawing pen for the last4 ,the fruit1 flowers1 c4 must next be carefully executed with the requisite colours1 according to the table given above2 the gold then laid on1 and afterwards the shade worked over the gold with a neutral tint1 made of sepia and lake1 as directed4 ,illustration ,illustration ,there are a few #8,tricks' which will be found generally useful to bear in mind4 ,the agate is a useful auxiliary2 with the side of it you can burnish your golds and silvers 7platina7 by gently rubbing them until they acquire the requisite brilliancy2 and with the point of it several very pretty methods of breaking and enriching a flat gold or silver surface may be put in force1 either by covering it with dots1 or with dots in combination with straight or curved lines1 or with a sort of ,arabesque work1 or--indeed1 with any sort of pattern according to the designer's fancy4 ,sparks of white may be with advantage introduced to throw up the edge of a leaf1 or the most prominent portion of a stalk1 or even to bring out the lighter edge of a letter from the background4 ,in the latter case be careful not to obliterate the outline4 ,the white should come just outside it1 and between it and the background4 ,a large initial or surface of heavy colour may be very easily lightened by the introduction of a powdering of minute gold dots4 ,these may be produced by laying on the dots1 first of all1 with either ,chinese white1 or with an article sold in the artists' colour shops1 called the gold medium2 and in either case touching the dots1 when dry1 with shell gold4 ,the effect will be that they will stand out in strong relief from the ground on which they are laid1 and will produce a very rich effect4 ,finally1 whilst observing the general rule to keep your work as flat as possible1 be careful that it do not degenerate into tameness--rather than this--and especially with foliage1 fruit1 flowers1 c4 do not be afraid to introduce into the deepest corners of the heaviest shades good1 strong1 telling touches1 of almost black colour4 ,but above all1 when in a difficulty1 study the specimens enumerated above2 rather err on the side of imitation than of invention4 ,the second point is the parallel of the first1 in connexion with what may be called the manipulatory part of the treatise4 ,here again we must warn our readers that the book is but a ,primer4 ,the work already referred to contains no less than seven and twenty imperial octavo pages1 about colours and gilding1 and brushes1 and other practical matters4 ,this will furnish some idea of the magnitude of this part of the subject4 ,but our little volume merely pretends to put beginners in the way of acquiring the power of learning more4 ,and let us here remark1 that in some particulars the colours selected1 and the directions given differ1 we observe1 from the recommendations of other writers2 and without therefore pretending for one moment to sit in judgment on those who differ with us1 we will take the liberty of informing readers that our directions are based on the experience and observations of many years' extensive practice of the art in question4 ,we may also add that1 though the ,primer is intended to enable beginners to teach themselves1 7and if its directions are carefully attended to1 will have that effect17 still it is advisable1 when practicable1 to carry out those directions under the eye of a master at first1 even if such supervision only amount to submitting to him the results of the earlier efforts1 that he may point out the secrets of any failures4 ,above all1 the golden rule for the student of illumination is1 not to attempt too much at first4 ,far more real progress is made by carefully1 patiently1 and accurately completing a single copy of one simple letter1 such for example as the ,n in ,example ,no4 #c1 than in hurrying over half a dozen more ambitious studies1 in a way which may produce a certain effect at a distance1 but will not bear looking into4 ,like ,burke1 rather aim to be #8slow and elaborate1' than dashing and effective2 but be industrious1 and let your motto be1--8,festina lente40 ,in conclusion1 it maybe as well to impress upon the reader two points3 the first is1 in great part1 a mere repetition of the introductory sentences of our little volume1 but cannot be too repeatedly urged on his attention4 ,there is no pretension whatever in this slight practical essay1 to give anything approaching to a complete dissertation on the art of illumination2 such a task would occupy a score of such volumes as ours1 and be then capable of almost illimitable further expansion4 ,we have indeed already remarked that the subject is inexhaustible2 and the last notable work published on the art well observes1 that #8men of the profoundest learning have devoted1 some whole lives1 and many of them long years1 to the study of those precious pages1 on the decoration of which the highest efforts of the illuminists of old were lavished2 and have yet one and all confessed the partial and incomplete mastery of the subject which they1 with all their labour1 have been able to acquire4' ,it is not to be expected1 therefore1 that within the comparatively tiny dimensions of a ,primer anything more than the merest outline was practicable1 all that has been attempted then has been to furnish just such a description and dissertation as is absolutely essential to the due comprehension of what the art is1 and of what it is applicable to1 leaving the student to search for further information among such of the larger and more abstruse works on the subject1 as may be accessible to him at the reading room of the ,british ,museum1#ac or elsewhere4 ,even at the risk of being accused of repetition1 it has been thought wise to impress this point strongly on the reader's attention4 ,his motto should be an amalgamation of two well known ones-- ,illustration3 nec temere nec timide semper labore4 #ac ,we have1 to our surprise1 found so much misconception abroad on the subject1 that we think it worth while to inform our lady readers that in this room there are seats specially set apart for ladies4 ,appendix4 ,the following ,extract from a ,letter to the ,editor1 gives a general and comprehensive view of all the old service books1 as far as illumination is concerned3-- 8,i think where and when the ,missal came into use as an altar book1 the ,breviary was compiled as a ,morning1 ,day and ,evening ,service-book1 for use in the ,quire1 as well as for the private recitation of the several offices4 ,the ,gradual was to the ,missal what the ,antiphonary was to the ,breviary4 ,i think the main books of private devotion were the ,hor ,b4 ,m4 ,v4 ,i do not think that the common ,hor or ,hour-books1 which were simply ,breviaries without lessons1 were ever popular1 or even of much use among the laity4 ,when the great ,colbert would have a book to himself1 he compiled a brief ,breviary1 i4 e41 a ,breviary abbreviated4 ,men of more unction and less sense used #8,hours of the ,blessed ,virgin1' and they were often1 especially in the ,calendar1 very gorgeously illuminated4 ,hor ,diurn or ,diurnales were hand-books for clerks1 to say all the hours from1 except matins2 they were easy to carry4 ,indeed1 my experience of illuminated books has run thus3-- ,hor ,b4 ,m4 ,v4--,these seem to me most numerous and elaborate in the #aeth and #afth century work4 ,evangelisteria4--,books of ,gospels next1 of very much older execution4 ,missalia4--,comparatively recent2 rich in the ,canon and ,preface illuminations4 ,breviaria richly and profusely illuminated are really scarce4 ,one wonders at it2 but so it is4 ,every now and then a handsome #aeth or #afth century ,breviary1 commonly of ,french art1 turns up1 but not very frequently1 and then not prodigally illuminated4 ,i have been told that some of the huge ,spanish ,graduals or ,mass ,anthem books are grandly illuminated in the way of capitals4 ,i have seen several mutilated copies which seem to affirm the same thing40 ,illustration3 ,monograms4 #gth and #hth ,centuries4 ,illustration3 ,from the ,bible of ,charles ye ,bald4 #ith ,century4 ,illustration3 ,from a ,bible4 #abth ,century4 ,illustration3 ,opus ,anglicum4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,st4 ,louis4 ,illustration3 ,les ,merveilles du ,monde4 #adji4 ,illustration3 ,chronicles of ,england4 ,edward ,,iv4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,henry ,,vii4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany4 ,illustration3 #adth and #aeth ,centuries4 ,illustration3 #adth and #aeth ,centuries4 ,illustration3 ,italian and ,initials4 #aeth and #afth ,centuries4 ,illustration3 ,from the ,bible of ,charles ye ,bald4 #ith ,century4 ,illustration3 ,from a ,bible4 #abth ,century4 ,illustration3 ,opus ,anglicum4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,st4 ,louis4 ,illustration3 ,les ,merveilles du ,monde4 #adji4 ,illustration3 ,chronicles of ,england4 ,edward ,,iv4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,henry ,,vii4 ,illustration3 ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany4 ,,printed ,,in ,,colours ,,by ,c4 ,,whiting1 ,,london4 ,just ,published4 ,,ornamental ,,alphabets1 ,,ancient ,,and ,,medi,,val1 ,,from ,,the ,,eighth ,,century1 ,,with ,,numerals1 including ,gothic1 ,church-,text1 large and small2 ,german1 ,italian1 ,arabesque1 ,initials for ,illumination1 c41 for the ,use of ,missal ,painters1 ,illuminators1 c41 c4 ,drawn and ,engraved by ,f4 ,,delamotte4 ,royal #hvo1 oblong1 cloth1 post free1 #ds4 8,a charming little volume this is--evidently a labour of love with the artist1 otherwise we should not have seen combined in its production research the most painstaking1 with industry the most indefatigable4 ,it is a book that old ,lord ,monboddo would have hung over1 as he turned the leaves1 delighted4 ,it is designed1 the title-page tells us1 for carvers1 masons1 engravers1 decorative painters1 lithographers1 architectural and decorative draughtsmen1 and others2 or1 as they say in that little dry chip of ,latin1 almost part and parcel of our vernacular1 cum cteris paribus4 ,beyond these1 however1 it will hardly fail to interest the linguist1 the philologist1 or the grammarian4 ,the work is1 in simple truth1 a curiosity4 ,an examination of it would not have been disdained by scholars old or new1 from ,scaliger to ,ruddiman1 from ,tooke to ,trench1 from ,crichton to ,mezzofanti4 ,yet the work is simply1 as its title tells us1 a book of ornamental alphabets--alphabets ancient and medival1 from the eighth century1 with numerals1 ,roman and ,arabic4 ,among the letters are ,gothic1 ,church-,text1 ,german1 ,italian1 ,arabesque1 ,ornamental1 and besides all these1 ,initials for ,illumination4 ,there are fifty pages1 or rather plates1 in all--each brilliantly emblazoned4 ,the book is complete4 ,it is the successful realization of a very happy thought1 but one thus perfectly realized1 through how much toil and assiduous investigation6 ,we can very heartily commend it to the attention of those for whom it has been especially intended by its ingenious collector and designer1 ,mr4 ,f4 ,delamotte40--,sun4 ,london3 ,e4 ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #af1 ,bucklersbury4 ,,examples ,,of ,,modern ,,alphabets1 ,,plain ,,ornamental1 including ,german1 ,old ,english1 ,saxon1 ,italic1 ,perspective1 ,greek1 ,hebrew1 ,court ,hand1 ,engrossing1 ,tuscan1 ,riband1 ,gothic1 ,rustic1 and ,arabesque1 with several ,original ,designs1 and an ,analysis of the ,roman and ,old ,english ,alphabets1 ,large and ,small1 and ,numerals4 ,collected and ,engraved by ,f4 ,,delamotte4 ,royal #hvo1 oblong1 #ds4 post free4 ,london3 ,e4 and ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #af1 ,bucklersbury4 ,,delamotte',s ,,designs ,,for ,,embroidery3 ,containing ,initials1 ,emblems1 ,cyphers1 ,monograms1 ,ornamental ,borders1 ,ecclesiastical ,devices4 ,royal #hvo1 oblong1 in ,illuminated ,boards1 #bs4 #f;d41 post free4 ,london3 ,e4 and ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #af1 ,bucklersbury4 ,,country ,,cottages3 a ,series of ,designs for an ,,improved ,,class ,,of ,,dwellings ,,for ,,agricultural ,,labourers4 ,by ,,john ,,vincent1 ,architect4 ,imperial #dto1 cloth1 price #abs4 ,london3 ,e4 and ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #af1 ,bucklersbury4