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MANUAL OF ILLUMINATION ON
PAPER AND VELLUM. B Y J. W. B R A D L E Y , B.A. AND
AN A PP E N D IX , BY T. G. GOODWIN, B.A. W IT H
T W E L V E L IT H O G R A P H IC IL L U ST R A T IO N S.
FOURTH EDITION— REVISED AND ENLARGED.
Sts probat artificcni.
LONDON: WINSOR AND NEWTON, 38, RATHBONE PLACE, fElanufaduring Artists’ (Eolourincn, anti IDratoing ^Baper Stationerg, bu Appotnfnu’nt, to Wcr IMajegtg, anti to ^.3R.?.7. tlje prince (lonsort.
1860. [77/e right of Translation is reserved.']
LONDO N :
Printe d by A. Schulze, 13, Poland Street.
PREFACE TO
TH E F O U R T H E D IT IO N .
When penning the preface to the first edition of this little Work, we mentioned it as being the result of con siderable experience; and commended its careful perusal as affording in a brief and practical form, sufficient informa tion to enable the artist or amateur to understand and practise the Art of Illumination, in its best and most attractive forms. HWi/wz two months we have received a most gratifying response in the sale of three editions— a result doubtless influenced by the fact of our Treatise having met with the favourable review and cordial approval of the Press. W e have naturally been stimulated to increased atten tion in the preparation of this Fourth Edition. W e have given much attention to the subject of “ Gilding,” and have materially enlarged our chapter thereon. W e have also carefully revised the W ork generally; and have made important alterations and additions with the view of rendering our Treatise as perfect as possible. J. W . B. T. G. G.
CO N TEN TS.
Page
I l l u m i n a t i o n ....................................................................... 7 Materials ........................................................................ . 1 9 Colours . . . . . . . . . 20 I n k s .......................................................................................... 23 Vellum, Boards,and P a p e r s ........................................................ 24 Pens .............................................. . . . . 25 B r u s h e s ..........................................................................................26 Burnisherand T ra c e r......................................................................... 26 Metals . . . . . . . . . . 27 O u t l i n e ..........................................................................................28 Initials . ........................................................................ 33 Borders . ............................................. . . . 35 Colouring . . . . . . . . . 37 Table of Colours and mixed Tints . . . . . 38 Diapers .......................................................................................... 43 Table of alternate C o l o u r s .................................................... 46 Gilding, &c. 51 Concluding Remarks . . . • ■. . 59 Appendix ................................................................................. 63 L a n d s c a p e ........................................................................ 65 Pigure 67 Styles . . . . . . . . . . 70 C o p y i n g ..........................................................................................73 D e s i g n .......................................................................................... 75
MANUA L OF ILLUM INATIO N ON
PAPER
AND
VELLUM .
PART L IL L U M IN A T IO N . To define the Art of Illumination would require a dis quisition,* that would encroach too much upon our lim its; and as few who take up this Manual will be un acquainted with the general character of the Art, we will drop definition, and begin with a description or two, that will equally serve our purpose, and be very much more interesting. The following is from Dr. Dibdin’s Bibliographical Tour. Speaking of a book of “ H ours/’ formerly belonging to Anne of Brittany, he says, “ Opposite to this illumination is the truly invaluable portrait of Anne herself . . . . the illustrious lady by whose orders, and at whose expense these figures were executed. Her gown is brown and gold trimmed with dark brown * Mr. Digby Wyatt’s Work (published by Day and Son) will be found to contain a very elaborate and comprehensive account ol‘ the liistory and practice of Ulnmination.
14
IL L U M IN A T IO N .
Clovio in Italy, but it had been combined a century before by the Van Eycks and Mending in Flanders ; who also first introduce d landscape in place of diapers for the back grounds of their miniatures. As we approach the 16th century, we find the study to become exceedingly complicated. A set of treatises rather than a single one, alone would do it justice. There are historical and landscape-miniature in body colour or tempera— flower, fruit, and animal painting in the same, and the peculiar style of painting in imitation of bas-relief called 1 camaieu gris,’ a kind of monochrome, or nearly so, in which the lights are white or gold, and the shades a deeper hue of the coloured ground— deep blue, crimson, puce, grey, amber, gold, or whatever it may be. Something of this manner occurs in the Flemish coloured compartments, where the vine-twig s are often merely outlined with gold, and shaded, with deeper touches of ground colour.* The later Flemish and Italian styles are distinctively floral, and in this feature are imitated by English and French Illuminators— Flemish masters having schools both in France and England. From the time of the Van Eycks, the study of nature had overcome to a great ex tent the conventionalities of decorative art, and land scapes were introduced in place of diapers for the Whilst, in Flemish backgrou nds of the miniatures. works especially, natural flowers, fruit, birds, and insects took the place of the twisted griffins and impossible monsters of a former age. In fact the decorative part of Elumination, the constructive ornament, was giving way to painting, and hence the complexity of the study. W e may remark that the common garden flowers of the Middle Ages were the rose, lily, poppy, violet, iris, and pink or clove, and these and several others are * Ilarl. 4425, contains examples of Cameo-painting, and 2952 of the earlier camaieugris.
Z2/
Fig. .//
F.
18
IL L U M IN A T IO N .
of stippling and soft gradation of the delicate tints of colour. Of the time he used to take to his performances we may have an idea from the current story, that on twenty miniatures executed in a book of Devotion s for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, he spent the greater part of eight years ; while, as to value, the twelve pictures in the ‘ Victories of Charles V ,’ known as the ‘ Grenville Clovio,’ are said to be valued at one hundred guineas each.* There is another MS. decorated by his hand, in the Soane Museum , containin g several cameos ; and an altar tablet in the South Kensing ton Museum attributed to him. This tablet is of an oblong shape, the text separated into three columns by lines of ornamen t: a broad border with renascim ento scrolls and flowers on a gold ground surrounds the whole. The edges of this border consist of a plain ball mouldin g in gilt. Medallions having grounds of scarlet and blue by turns are placed at intervals along the border, alternately with coats of arms. At the top of the central column is a painting of the Lord’s Supper, and below it two broad panels, scarlet and blue with gold edge and letters of gold upon them. The whole, with its beautifu l initials and careful text, forms a very interesting relic of one of the last of the old Illuminators. * The reader will find a close description of these pictures in Dibdin’s Bibliograpli. Decani. Vol. i. p. clxxxix.
T H E M A T E R IA L S .
PART
THE
19
IL
M A T E R IA L S .
Since the days of Dunstan and even of Mending, we have certainly lost sundry maxims of drawing and colour, one or two resplendent pigments, and, perhaps, the hest method of raising and burnishing our gold. But upon the whole we are immense gainers in point of the trouble and excessive carefulness necessary for the production of well-ground, softly-working, and brilliant colours; pencils of sweet touch, and, indeed, of every appliance that can shorten our labour, and economise our time. A ll old treatises on limning abound with directions for the pre parations of colours, sizes, and gold— Cennini, for instance, and the Illuminir Buch of Boltzen, and very many MSS. in the British Museum and other collections. Harleian MSS. Nos. 3151, 1279, 1460, 6376. Soane MSS. No. 416 are specimens of the kind. W ith the exception of scarlet or bright orange, our colours are everything we could wish, nor could we, as amateurs, hope to sur pass the preparations that are supplied with every care for their excellence by the proper makers. After much vexation and expense, probably our own would be worse than nothing. c 2
28
O U T L IN E .
PA RT III .
O U T L IN E . W e now come to that portion of our work which, with all its attractiveness, will try our love and patience, even more severely than the dry process of abstracting prin ciples, or enumerating tools. As long as our ideas remain within the intangible bounds of thought, they are under magisterial control; but the moment we at tempt to fix them in material form, we learn the immense distinction there ever is between imagining and doing. During the moments which we have occupied in re flections upon the history and principles of the Art, doubtless many entrancing visions have presented them selves of pages resplendent with gold and the magic jewelry of colour ; and grand determinations have been formed of triumphs— at least ovations— for ourselves, in the glorious pages with which we would astonish our long-suffering friends; and the precious books that by our handy-work should become the cynosures of our drawing-room and library. Let us now put those pretty schemes into execution. Illumination is a lovelv art, but it cannot be attained at once, we must submit to a somewhat tedious application to study, and be forearmed against the little disappointments which naturally will occur. After hours or days of happy progress, let us not permit an unfortunate dash of colour, or an obstinate
O U T L IN E .
29
tatter of gold leaf to dishearten us from beginn ing afresh. It is a lesson of caution that, no doubt, we have been in need of. How many of our now celebrated artists, did we but know particulars, have been cruelly tempted to smite, and have smitten, sweet promising pictures, with that implacable sponge, exasperated with repeated effac足 ing^ ; or crushed togeth er in hopeless ruin once beautiful beginn ings of water colour, through some disastrous com足 binations of fact that had no place in their ideas! Let us reflect how our great painters have arrived at their poet-like mastery of expression, their fearless and un足 tramm elled execution, and we shall rise all the more hopefu lly from our own small discomfitures. W e must do wrong many times before we can do right, unless each error be carefu lly examined and its cause avoided. If, after careful reflection, we still err, then let us trust to practice also, and most assuredly our work will soon becom e easy to our hands, and the bright visions of our imagin ation be fashioned into permanent reality. First, then, let us have a perfectly definite idea of what we have to do. W e will resolve at once, not to waste our time in multitudes of beginnings, and fruitless at足 tempts to do great and elaborate things before we have gained much more command over eye and hand than we commence with. It is common to suppose that if we could only manage the pencil we should find no drawing difficult. In some degree, this is true, for facility of hand is only acquired by practice. But the great difficulty is in the seeing, not the handling. W e do not imitate perfectly, because we have not seen all that there is to imitate, and however forcibly this may apply to the distinctness and reality of form, it applies much more forcibly to the subtlety and changeful mystery of colour. Correctness of eye will very soon produce correctness of hand. Our first acquirement then, must be, to learn how to observe. The practico of copying good old Gothic texts will
COLOURING.
PA ET
37
IV.
C O L O U R IN G . Under tlie head of Materials, we have spoken of the colours recommend ed for Illumination. Besides the colours in that list, several others are re quisite, that are only to be obtained by mixing on the palette. These broken hues are employed in backgrounds, and as shading for the more brilliant colours and tints on the ornamentation. W e cannot here enter upon the study of principles and maxims of colouring,* our limits compelling us to be con tent with practical directions for laying on such colours as are named. First, then, everything connected with the painting should be scrupulously clean and free from dust. Distilled water should be used, or, at least, soft water that is per fectly clear. A very little gum-water, in some cases, should be added to the colour as it is mixed. The sable pencils should be in readiness, two or three, or more, ac cording to the work, and habits of the operator. Perhaps this is the best place to notice the manner of using the Chinese White. On being taken from the bottle, it is found to be ex ceedingly viscid, and troublesome to work, clogging the point of the pencil. Of course it should be diluted with pure distilled water, but as this renders it too thin for the * Vide “ The Principles of Colouring in Painting,” bvo Charles Martel—Winsor and Newton.
MA NUA L OF ILL UM INA TIO N ON
PA PER AND VELLUM.
LANDSCAPE, FIGURE, STYLES, COPYING AND DESIGN, BY
T. G. GOODWIN, B.A.
A P P E N D IX . .L A N D S C A P E , F IG U R E , S T Y L E S , C O P Y IN G , AND
D E S IG N . a'
As the foregoing full and minute instructions in the Art of Illumination, must, if duly attended to, have given the pupil a thorough acquaintance with all things neces足 sary for its practice, and we may reasonably suppose him desirous of proceeding from simple copying to the more advanced department of design, a few remarks upon the character of Mediaeval Landscape and Figure, as applied to design, will not, I think, be amiss. The unsatisfactory character of most modern Illumi足 nations mainly appears to result from the neglect of certain broad rules of composition, belonging equally to all Arts, and never transgressed without lamentable failure and disappointment, it will, therefore, be of importance to impress upon the pupil a few simple rules, which may to some extent serve to keep him from like mistakes.
L A N D S C A PE .
It is very desirable that you should understand tho足 roughly what I have to say upon Landscape and Figure painting as applied to the Art of Illumination. It is not my intention to give you elementary instruction and ex足 ercises in this branch of the art, nor will my limits allow F
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