Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> This well-known observation by perhaps the most famous miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard (c.1547-1619) emphasises two important points about the art of minia- ture painting: that in England what today are called miniatures were originally called limnings and that limn- ing was distinct and separate from other types of painting. Contrary to popular belief miniature paintings are not simply small variants of oil paintings. The word ‘miniature’ comes from the Latin miniare meaning to colour with red lead originally related to book produc- tion before the invention of printing. In England the small bright illustrations of such sacred books painted in watercolour on vellum were more usually called illu- minations or limnings. Both terms derive from the medieval Latin word luminare meaning to give light. (LL)