i
HINTS ON ILLUMINATING W IT H AN
ESSAY ON T H E A R T OF
©nwilting in W r or ’ll rials DESCRIBING
A
NEW
A N D EASY M ETHOD OF BRIL
L IA N TLY AND DURABLY IM ITA TIN G T H E ILLU M IN A TED GILDING OF T H E M IDDLE AGES
BY
HENRY MONTANELL LUCIEN
FOURTH EDITION REVISED
LONDON J. B A R N A R D A N D 339 OXFORD STREET
SON
LO NDO N: P R IN T E D BY ADAM S A N D G E E , 2 3 , M ID D L E S T R E E T , W E ST S M I T H F I E L D , E .C .
PREFACE. ------ o-----In the following pages the author has confined himfelf to an outline of the indifpenfables for fuccefsfully illuminating, with the exception of the Eflay on Gold Ornamentation, which enters fully into the fubject, and contains much original and exclufive information. The hints on defigning and colouring are but fuggeftions as to the how and the why ; and to the tafteful ftudent who purfues his work
con amore
they are quite as valuable as, and more readable
than, lengthy treatifes.
The aim of the real artifl fhould be
rather to adapt and work out hints, than to merely copy detailed verbal directions. The prefent edition is much enlarged and improved, and feveral new plates and a table of contents are added.
CONTENTS
C H A PTER I. PAGE
Illumination
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„
n it
Q
Outlines for Commencement Copying
9 ib.
o
Original Defigns, Principles to be followed Initials Borders Backgrounds Figures, Groups, Drapery Relative Sizes (or Scales) Colouring Theory of Colour . a Obfervations on Conftruftion Recapitulation
O
e
€
11
O
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g
ib.
o
n ib.
o
©
12
o
4>
o
O
4
O
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14 ib. ib„ 17 ib,
C H A PTER II.
Choice of Materials Paper and Vellum Tracing . . Bru flies and Pens .
20
ib. .
.
Colours . . . . Peculiarities and Combinations of Colours . Table of Colours and Tints
22
ib. 2
3 25 3i
V1
Contents. C H A PTER III. PAGE
Metallic Ornamentation . . Relume of Difficulties . . . Directions for Gilding, Silvering, Burniffiing Leaf Gilding, Silvering, etc. Aluminum and Platinum Leaf .
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35 .3 6 37
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42 47
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50
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C H A PTER IV .
Defcription and Explanation of the Illuftraticns
HINTS ON ILLUMINATING, ETC.
CH A PTER
I.
ILLUMINATION.
T he tafte for artiftically ftudying the illumina tions of the middle ages is rapidly increafing. The revival of the Art of Illuminating is to be hailed as a fign o f the times. That we begin at laft to appreciate the exquifite models handed down to us by our fore fathers fhows a decided Rep in public taRe ; indeed, the fine arts generally have sprung prominently for ward within the laR few years. In the feventeenth century the art of illuminating difappeared; its death-blow was the general introduction of the printing-prefs.
From the Renaifsance period till very lately, there has been a Ready decay of the fine arts; so fhamefully, indeed, has beauty been defpifed and rejected, that but a few years back illuminated manufcripts were deRroyed and cut to pieces for commercial purpofes, fuch as goldbeating. This modern Vandalifm has, we are happy
20
Hints on Illuminating,
CHA PTER
IL
MATERIALS.
W e have now to confider the praQical part of our fubjeft : the choice of materials to work on and with, and how to ufe them. The heft surface for illuminating on is vellum. Vellum is very durable, and it enriches the work by its charming colour and texture. It is more coftly than paper, and requires much more care in handling, as the flighted: fpeck of dirt fhows, and is not eafily removed. Vellum, too, has a slight greafinefs, and, to the novice, is not very eafy to colour o n ; but this difficulty may be entirely re moved by waffiing the furface with very dilute liquid colourlefs ox-gall. In ufing vellum, the defign should be firft got out on paper, and the outline be very lightly touched-in on the vellum with an HB pencil cut to a very fine point. The ficetching-in requires great care, for it is almoft impoffible to remove pencil-marks from vellum. India-rubber ffiould never be ufed. Bread, not too new, may be fparingly employed. Marks may
Hints on Illuminating.
21
be got out with very fine glafs paper, or be painted over with Illumina ting Body W hite or body colour, where the subject admits of it. The folid blocks of vellum fold by artifts’ colourm en are convenient, as they fave the trouble of mountin g, but they will not do for burnifhing on. In. mountin g vellum, it fliould not be wetted much, but juft damped by laying it in a damp cloth. The yellowish hue of vellum requires that white furfaces should be coated with Illumina ting Body White, and the ground tints should be moftly mixed with white, to give body and folidity. The exceptions are mention ed in our memoranda of hues. We recomm end beginners to make their trials on paper. Papers properly prepared for taking water colours are to be got at all the colourm en’s shops : the clofer the texture of the paper is, the better. We have feen a very clofe-grained paper with a vellum furface that has only juft been brought forward. We can recomm end this Vellum Paper ftrongly. Paper is very good for learning and praftifin g on, but importa nt efforts Ihould have the advantage in tone and effect that vellum alone can give. We venture to affirm that thofe who once fucceed on vellum, or vellum paper, will difcard drawing paper and Briftol board forever. All vellum or paper once mounted should be capped
34
Hints on Illu min atin g.
Rich war m brow n.— Vandyke Bro wn, with a littl e Burnt Carmine, or Madder Bro wn. Rich , war m red, or yellow brow n.— Indian Red, or Purple Madder with Cadmium Y ello w ; eith er bein g in exc efs, as red or yellow is wished to pre dom inate. Stone dra b.— Vandyke Bro wn or Yel low Och re, with W hite . Rich yellow brow n.— Raw Sien na. TfrcA redd ish brow n.— Bur nt Sien na; Dra gon ’s Blood. BLACKS.
Den se.— Ivory or Lam p-b lack . Bro wn blac k.— Indian Ink (the bell only) ; In delible Brown. W HIT E.
P u re.— Illu min atin g Body W hite . GREYS*
Various proportions of Indian Ink and W hite . Pea rly grey .— The above, with a little Cobalt. Slat e grey .— The above, with a littl e Indian Red and Cobalt. Silv ery grey .— The above, with a little Rofe Madder and Cobalt.
Hints on Illuminating.
CH APTER
35
I IL
GILDING.
B efore any colour is applied, it is requifite to introduce the gold or filver in early illuminated work. All folid metallic, and efpecially burnilhed furfaces, muft be begun and finished after the out足 line is fketched in, and before colouring is com足 menced. For, in gilding and burnifhing, the coloured furface is fure to be damaged. In illu足 minations of a late period, there are often touches and ftreaks of fhell gold painted over the colour. The following obfervations are applicable to gilding and metallic ornamentations of all kinds; they have a fpecial intereft for the illuminating artift, whofe gilding operations are befet with pe足 culiar difficulties, Indeed this part of illuminating work is lefs underftood than any other; we are, therefore, fomewhat diffufe in our directions. Among the Ioffes we have had to deplore is the lofs of the art o f durably burnifhing gold on vellum (and paper), and particularly of imitating the raifed gold ornaments which adorn the old illuminated manufcripts. The public lias, over and
5°
Hints on Illuminating. CH A PTER
IV .
DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OF THE
ILLUSTRATIONS. It is much to be regretted that the meretricious flyles of the Renaiffance period are so frequently preferred to the purer art of earlier times. The following outlines have been felected and adapted from the fineft available manufcripts of the feventh, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries; and it is hoped they may induce illuminators to Hudythe beautiful, though in a form to which many are flrangers. Each Plate is accompanied with explanations and directions. The ftudent should draw (or trace and transfer) from the lithograph to the material on which he intends to work. PLATE I. Seventh- century details, to enable the flu dent to defign borders, or to enrich with different ornaments. Some thirteenth and fourteenth-century details have been added to this plate in this edition. We intended to have had them printed on another page, but through inadvertence they have found a place here. The error is of but trifling moment, as the two flyles are fo very diflinct that no one can millake one for the other.
N 3 I.