Art being the intelligent representation of that quality of beauty which
appeals to any particular observer, whoever exercises the faculty of
such representation is an artist.
Greatness or otherwise is simply the measure of the faculty, for in
Nature herself there is no restriction. There is always enough of beauty
in Nature to fill the mightiest capacity of human genius. Artists,
therefore, are measured by comparison with each other in reference to
the fraction of art which they attempt to reproduce.
The art of illumination does not aim at more than the gratification of
those who take pleasure in books. Its highest ambition is to make books
beautiful.
To some persons, perhaps, all ordinary books are ugly and distasteful.
Probably they are so to the average schoolboy. Hence the laudable
endeavour among publishers of school-books to make them attractive. The
desire that books should be made attractive is of great antiquity. How
far back in the world's history we should have to go to get in front of
it we cannot venture to reckon. The methods of making books attractive
are numerous and varied. That to which we shall confine our attention is
a rather special one. Both its processes and its results are peculiar.
Mere pictures or pretty ornamental letters in sweet colours and elegant
drawing do not constitute illumination, though they do form essential
contributions towards it; and, indeed, in the sixteenth century the
clever practitioners who wished, in bright colours, to awaken up the old
woodcuts used to call themselves illuminists, and the old German books
which taught how the work should be done were called _Illuminir b?cher_.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25