{"product_id":"guide-to-the-art-of-illuminating-and-missal-painting-w-g-audsley-2nd-edition","title":"Guide to the Art of Illuminating and Missal Painting, W. \u0026 G. Audsley — 2nd Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, George Rowney and Co., 1861 Sm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. 72, [8] plates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Good. The original blue pebble-grain cloth boards are entirely sound, though showing expected wear for a nineteenth-century instructional manual. The intricate blind-stamped floral tooling and gilt titling to the upper board remain distinctly visible but display moderate rubbing, particularly to the extremities and along the joints. The spine exhibits noticeable fading and fraying at both the head and tail, with the corners turned in and lightly bumped. The binding is secure, with the text block retaining its all-edges-gilt finish, albeit slightly dulled. Internally, the pages are generally clean, with some mild, scattered toning throughout. The stunning chromolithographic frontispiece retains its vibrant hues and gilt accents, presenting beautifully without any offsetting or damp-staining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: This 1861 Second Edition is a remarkably early and scarce printing of the Audsley brothers' highly influential guide to medieval manuscript illumination. Published by George Rowney and Co., a prominent firm of manufacturing artists’ colourmen, the manual served as both a practical instruction book for the burgeoning Victorian Gothic Revival movement and a clever promotional avenue for Rowney’s illuminating paints and supplies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe volume features eight magnificent lithographic plates (including four in striking full colour), showcasing intricate alphabets, borders, and initial letters designed by the architects themselves. A contemporary ink signature to the centre of the title page stands as the only notable provenance, subtly tracing the book's history of practical ownership.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCapitalising on the Victorian era's passionate revival of Gothic arts and architecture, William and George Audsley’s \u003ci\u003eGuide to the Art of Illuminating and Missal Painting\u003c\/i\u003e remains a masterpiece of nineteenth-century instruction. Far from a dry technical manual, this vibrant book offers readers a rich historical overview of manuscript illumination alongside deeply practical advice on vellum, pigments, and brushwork. Beautifully accented by the authors' own chromolithographic designs, it stands as a testament to the period's profound reverence for medieval craftsmanship and the enduring allure of the illuminated page.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54566345769299,"sku":"5037","price":88.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260809_193118.jpg?v=1786520508","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/guide-to-the-art-of-illuminating-and-missal-painting-w-g-audsley-2nd-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}