"[Illuminated Leaf]", Hardouin, Gilles

This leaf is from the brief transitional period when the new technology of printing with movable type was combined with the more labor intensive methods of hand painting. The earliest printers were trained in the manuscript tradition and incorporated the conventions of historiated initials and illustrations into their early work. At first they left those spaces blank for the illuminator to complete entirely by hand. Later they developed printing methods (using woodcuts or iron engravings) to decorate the leaves.

A beautiful leaf from the transitional period printed on vellum and illuminated by hand. The verso includes a printed scene of Jesus on the Cross surrounded by Mary, John and a Roman officer. The scene has been beautifully overpainted in rich colors with gold highlights and enclosed in a hand drawn architectural surround. The text below is complimented by several illuminated initials. The recto contains half a page of text with one decorative initial.

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Condition: A

Three tiny binding holes just touching the decorations.