"[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.

Unusual vellum leaf printed in Gothic textura type with illuminated capitals within the text and illustrated panels that are iron engravings. This is from a Book of Hours printed by Gilles Hardouin, one of the most prominent early printers of Paris; his monogram is at bottom on the recto.

References:

Condition: B+

Minor soil, mostly in the margins.