Vellucent binding for The Song of Songs, by Herbert Granville Fell, 1897. This extravagant design exemplifies the polychromatic idiom of bindings created using this technique. As usual, Fell synthesizes Pre-Raphaelitism and Art Nouveau; the elegant female figures are a direct link with Pre-Raphaelite beauty, while the ornamental devices have the sinuous linearity of the New Style. The overall effect is luxurious, invoking the preciousness of jewellery, although the palette may appear rather too intense, or perhaps even livid, to modern eyes.[Click on image to enlarge it.]
Photograph and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Bibliography
The Song of Songs. London: Chapman & Hall, 1897.
Created 15 January 2022