Studio: international art (29.1903)

Vellucent Book-Bindings

then laid upon the sur-
. . • • . . — • • • - • .) face of the painting and

h^r^y'^i-^p ''■Qr-^a =2? '^h^P'^'^'^'m tne two Pressed together

<3 Q C7c: t) ^3 U * \ a] till they became dissever-

able. Gold tooling was
"f8Plm*^lH^|»^, now superimposed upon

'" 0f\ ' K i ^4qA> cutaneous colouring, often

't . , * ^ with results surprising in

?j v '43limB^iii^^¥^ra» their richness and beauty.

4^^^^ ^-j ^ ..^ Ij^ed,^the ^vellum itself^

..... of colour, of gold and

iridescence, is thus open
I \ ■ ■ . . .

- y%mmmammv«w^tm?w' .• to the artist who elects

to decorate books bound

l*^--$w?Sj*<!C i - ^rN -r-. in "Vellucent."

. 1 . - • It may be claimed that

the colour effects pro-

... V^, ■'_"'" ■ -; - '__duced, seeing the nature

..........._.______________._______________..........„........, of the materials employed,

,, , exceed in brilliancy and

"vellucent binding designed by dorothy smyth . /

executed by cedric chivers beauty anything in the

whole range of artistic
expression yet achieved.

for ages past been fully recognised, and the fact A book when complete will stand constant use

that the surface is capable of being cleaned and everyday wear and tear; it has neither ex-

without injury, being impervious to the action crescences nor protuberances, is absolutely flat,

of damp, was an important point in Mr. smooth, and pleasant to handle. The design,

Chivers's deliberations while dealing with the however beautiful and precious, is permanently

external decoration of books by the particular secured from dirt and damp in one of the strongest

method he had in view. This method is perfectly and best materials ever used for the binding of a

simple and logical in its process. The designs book. The iridescent and other materials used

were first painted or drawn in colours with as have been the subject of the most interesting experi-

full a palette or as subdued a richness of colour- ments. In spite of the novelty and seeming incon-

ing as the artist chose to employ. Various gruity of the idea, step by step, each new introduc-

iridescent materials and precious metals, pared tion was carefully thought out, and a trial made of

to the thinness of paper or even of leaf gold, its adaptability under translucent vellum, Mr. Chivers

according to the fancy of the designer, were often adopting a wise policy of restraint in allowing only

introduced, to enhance the richness of the scheme; those effects entirely satisfactory to the trained eye

mother-o'-pearl, shell, beetles' wings, these and of the artist to be accepted for use.

other beautiful materials were utilised in the Those who visited the Goupil Gallery exhibition

carrying-out of the designs with the greatest of bookbinding in 1898, the bookbinding at the Paris

felicity of effect. The transparent vellum was Exhibition of 1900, and, later, the "Studio"

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