MR. CUKDALL'S ANCIENT AND MODERN noosmarnis0. 5 In its mechanical branches,
the art of bookbinding has made immense pro- gress of late years in England; but there has been no corresponding pro. gress in the ornamental part, which should help the book as a solacele the mind by typifying its inward nature in a decent and comely extezior. " The mechanical execution," says Mr. Canaan," is better; the books opint more freely, are more truly folded, have the squares more even, and the sides and backs are richly enough gilt; but where is the ornamental art the fifteenth century? Now and then we have good copies of old designs reproduced, and occasionally a good original design; but we have no ntyle whatever that is worth perpetuating." Mr. Heyday's execution, for exam- ple, is faultless; but " at present hia designs consist almost invariably of adaptations and modifications of ancient examples." Mr: Owen Jones has the mind of a true artist; but he is bitten with the naedinival mania, and reproduces, by modern mechanical contrivance, 'counterparts of the old covers carved in wood, with ingenious fretwork and 'ludicrous figures. movement, however, is made to emancipate the ornamental art 'of book, binding from this crude state. The immense increase of books, the, oath stitution of cloth for the former methods of boarding which se sooninic,asea- unsightly, and the further improvements which that change suggested in papering, have greatly extended the field of operations; and many works are now produced which are beautiful articles of furniture. The improinat merits in mechanics place at the disposal of •the workman immense faoili. ties,-better, more accurate, and more easily varied tools, better methods of gilding and silvering, new or newly-applied materials, new colours: the thing wanted is inventive fancy.
The principles of ornamental art as applied to bookbinding must be drawn from the nature of the want and of the materials available, The want is, the fit clothing of a book-fit for its due preservation, but im- parting to it an outward aspect by which it may be readily known from among its fellows. If that countenance be pleasant it will produce plea- sure; it will do more than produce pleasure if it in any degree enforce the impression to be conveyed by the book itselL Mr. Coa- ttail very justly insists on appropriateness as the .first object in the ornamental part of bookbinding. slaw execution is in itself a great source of artistic gratification; but in order to completeness, more is wanted than skill and judgment. An essential element is symmetry of forms, both in themselves and also with reference to the limited range of oblongs into which papers are folded. In mechanical designs, intricacy is a source of interest, especially if to an apparent intricacy certain leading lines afford an easy clue for tracing the pattern.with the eye. Some of the specimens among the beautiful illustrations ,in Mr. Cundall's volume afford good examples of this intricacy, readily traced, and combined in symmetrical forms. In the second plate, one of the Grolier bindings, the fretworks very pleasingly interlace and hang to one another in a manner that gives the idea of freedom and firmness-of grace: ful forms firmly fastened together. But for these patterns we go back 4 the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A greater breadth might be given to style in the direction of the grotesque; which within temperate limits is very suitable for bookbinding. Such designs are the better, on divert accounts, for not being too close to " nature." The character of the ma- terials renders a just or truly beautiful imitation of living forms nearly impossible: the human figure moulded on book-covers is seldom so good as to disarm the wish that it were absent. And the more naturally deli- cate or pliant forms are imitated, the worse are they for the adornment of what must be freely handled. But grotesque forms, which please by the commingling of the graceful with the surprising, and escape from the exigencies of the purely " natural," afford the widest scope for fancy, and offer a medium for harmonizing the mechanical with the spiritual.
To the execution of such higher styles, perhaps a more artistic feeling is required than that which exists among our workmen; who are mechan- ized by the division of employments, and beaten down in spirit by the beating down of wages. " Roger Payne," says Mr. Cundall, " Was the first Englishman who produced a really good binding; and for the time in which he lived the ornament on his books was very praiseworthy: some of his best works, such as French romances", were powdered with fleur-de-lis; his books on chivalry had suitable devices, such as helmets, spurs, gauntlets, and the like; and on poetical works he used a simple lyre. He did all with his own hands, from the folding, beating, sewing, cut mending, headbanding, colouring his end-papers, to the making of his own
and lettere."
Mr. Caudal' gives a fat-simile of one of Roger's bills, written in a good bold hand, and interesting from its naive and earnest manner- .,.. y7, " Vaneril Prasdlum Rusticum Parislis MDCCLXXIV Bound in the very best ,,,tn,,aed manner in the finest Green Morrocco the Back Lined with Red Morrocco,, Fine Drawing Paper, & very neat Morrocco Joints Inside Their was 4 few Leaves staled at the foredge which is washed & cleand "The subject of the Book being RulalcuM I have ventued to putt The Vine -FT. Wreath on it, I hope I have not bound It In too rich a manner for the Beck. It takes up a great deal of time to do These Vine Wreaths, I guess within Time I am certain of Measuring and Working the different and tortoni_ small Tools required to all up the Vine Wreath that It takes very near s days Work In finishing the two sides only of the Book-bat I wished to dti'gqii my best for the Work- and at the same time I can not expect' to charge a-m mut full and proper price for the Work and hope that the price will not only birb hair
found reasonable but cheap
• "On Ornamental Art, applied to Ancient and molten* nowtonannat , nice iii with Specimens of various Dates and Countries- By 1440.01 Condon-•Iteadilarthir Meeting of the Society of Arts, held November 1847." tuptujootago.ok Society. ,7:1k ion MO. /13(113-339
Previous page
