TYMMS, William Robert and Matthew Digby WYATT (1820-1877)

The Art of Illuminating as Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times: Illustrated by Borders, Initial Letters, and Alphabets / Selected & Chromolithographed by W.R. Tymms; with an Essay and Instructions by M.D. Wyatt, Archt.

London: Day and Son, 1866. 8vo. (9 1/8 x 6 1/8 inches). Chromolithographed title, 96 pp. Illustrated with 95 chromolithographed plates. Presentation inscription dated 1869.

Contemporary quarter vellum and orange cloth, spine lettered gilt. Binding signed, "Morley, Oxford"

A landmark in 19th-century colour printing, both for its technical accomplishment and for its role in preserving and transmitting the visual language of the illuminated manuscript tradition.

A superb visual compendium of the European tradition of manuscript illumination, this richly illustrated work is among the finest examples of mid-Victorian chromolithography. William Robert Tymms, chief illuminator at Day & Son, the leading lithographic firm of the day, reproduces borders, decorated initials, and alphabets from medieval and Renaissance sources, capturing the development of ornamental book art from late antiquity through the Gothic and into the early modern period. The accompanying essay and practical instructions by the architect Matthew Digby Wyatt includes both a survey of stylistic developments and practical guidance for students and artists aiming to revive the medieval decorative tradition, which reflects the design reform movement's emphasis on historical craftsmanship as a model for contemporary applied arts.

Beckwith, Victorian Bibliomania 49.

Item #42187

Price: $250.00