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What is a VANISHING  Fore-edge Painting?

 

Unlike the spine and covers of a bookbinding, the page edges are not usually decorated, however… 

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A VANISHING fore-edge painting is where the leaves of a book are fanned and an image applied to the stepped surface.

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If the page edges are gilded or marbled, the painting miraculously disappears when the book is relaxed. When the book is fanned again it magically re-appears! 

 

In addition the leaves can be fanned backwards or twisted, allowing yet more paintings to be applied.

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In the case of thicker books they can be split and divided, offering the chance of adding still more decoration. 

      SINGLE fore-edge painting

TWO-WAY DOUBLE fore-edge paintings where the pages are fanned in both directions

ALL EDGE PAINTINGS where the book is twisted to reveal the top and bottom page edges

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SPLIT DOUBLE where a thicker book is divided  

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