Fore-Edge Painting

The art of fore-edge painting has, by its very nature, been hidden from book collectors and enthusiasts for much of its existence. Fore-edge painting is an art of concealment. Although the term can apply to any painted decoration on the fore-edge of the leaves of a book, it most commonly refers to the eighteenth century English technique popularized by the Edwards of Halifax firm. In attempting to describe this technique, by which a painting is made to vanish and reappear, most writers are content to say that opening, fanning, or flexing the leaves of a painted book reveals the painting. It is useful, however, to be more specific. Almost all fore-edge painters have worked with the book opened as if to display the title page. In this position, the beveled surface of the fore-edge lies to the right and the leaves were painted on this surface. When the pages are relaxed or the book closed, the painted surface is no longer visible. Often, the edges are gilded to help protect and conceal the painting. Variations of this technique include fanning the pages in the opposite direction; a two-way double, in which fanning in either direction reveals a painting; a split double, in which the text block is opened in the middle and painting applied to both sides of the split (or a two-way split double, in which both halves of the split text block are painted on both sides of the fan