Like some ancient languages, there are certain art forms that are on the endangered list. They include forms like script illumination and puppetry. In the case of “fore-edge painting”, the art is being reborn in young artists like Maisie Matilda.
Fore-edge painting dates back to the tenth century AD, five-hundred years before the invention of the printing press. Because books at the time were scripted and bound by hand they were rare and highly valued. Fore-edge painting was a way for the owners of books to identify who they belonged to. The earliest English fore-edge paintings began to appear in the fourteenth century. In fact, the art of disappearing fore-edge painting, (a painting that is not visible when the book is closed), was developed for the very purpose of identifying ownership and was usually based on heraldic themes. Credit for the “mysterious” art of disappearing fore-edge painting is given to Samuel Mearne, who was the bookbinder in service to King Charles II from 1660 to 1683. Fore-edge painting remained popular for Bibles, prayer books, collections of poetry, and many other multi-volume works long into the nineteenth century, but the costs involved eventually brought the practice to an end.
Today the art is being kept alive by artists like Martin Frost and Maisie Matilda. Maisie produces beautiful renderings of themes from great fiction like “Harry Potter” and “Lord of The Rings”. You can find her work on Instagram and Etsy and Martin Frost’s can be found here and on Instagram.