Customer Reviews

The Gilded Page: The History and Technique of Manuscript Gilding

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For centuries artists and illuminators have applied gold to paper in order to decorate and adorn manuscripts. Professional manuscript restorer Kathleen Whitley's The Gilded Page: The History & Technique Of Manuscript Gilding explains in detail both the antiquarian and modern techniques of manuscript gilding including the tools, methods, and materials employed in flat, raised, and patterned gilding used on manuscripts and paintings. Impressively researched and written, we are authoritatively offered the step-by-step techniques of applying and burnishing gold in an immanently sensible and easy-to-understand text that is enhanced with dozens of rare illustrations drawn from The British Library, the British Museum, and other institutions, along with Whitley's own photographs and drawings. The Gilded Page is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any bibliophile reading list and reference collection.

As someone who's hobby is re/creating illuminated manuscripts, I found this book to be a great help in getting me past the hurdle of attempting to do gilding on some of my own work. Ms. Whitley's no-nonsense approach, step-by-step instructions, examples and photographs of her gilding her own pieces helped me overcome my nervousness in dealing with gold leaf.

This book is a must for anyone wanting to 'leap the hurdle' and utilize gold leaf in their own manuscript illuminations. This book goes onto my 'working reference' shelf...it's not going to be collecting dust for quite some time.