In four books
The Imitation of Christ In four books
Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. 1898.
First Housman edition, one of only 660 copies. This copy in a hand-painted "vellucent" binding by Cedric Chivers. Octavo. Full creamy vellum hand painted in an Art Nouveau style design. Printed on hand made paper. Black and white plates and decorative initials by Housman, engraved by Clemence Housman. A very good example of the beautiful Chivers bindings.
Cedric Chivers' vellucent bindings are beau
tiful and delicate. Cedric Chivers introduced these "vellucent" style bindings in order to assist the production of beautiful hand painted watercolour bindings, which prior to this point had been subject to damage, smudging and wear.
The new process involved painting an image in ink and watercolour on paper, then a thin layer of stretched vellum was laid over the illustration and sealed, thus protecting the painting. Gilt decoration, lettering and borders were then embossed onto the covers.
Chivers described the process thus,
"...The designs were first painted or drawn in colours with as full a palette or as subdued a richness of colouring as the artist chose to employ. Various iridescent materials and precious metals, pared to the thinness of paper or even of gold leaf, according to the fancy of the designer, were often introduced to enhance the richness of the scheme; mother-o'-pearl, shell, beetles' wings, these and other beautiful materials were utilized in the carrying out of the designs with the greatest felicity of effect. The transparent vellum was then laid upon the surface of the painting and the two pressed together till they became indisseverable. Gold tooling was now superimposed upon the surface of the subcutaneous colouring, often with results surprising in their richness and beauty. Indeed, the vellum itself, though of perfect transparency, has, from its delicate warmth of hue, the quality of rendering luminous and reconciling colours otherwise difficult to combine harmoniously in juxtaposition, its appearance being that of a beautiful enamel-like glaze. The whole field of colour, of iridescence, is thus open to the artist who elects to decorate books bound in 'Vellucent.'" (Chivers books in Beautiful Bindings).
Stock ID: 33120
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