Printers, Colourists, Illuminators, and the Standardisation of Book Decoration in Nuremberg, 1470–1530 / Julia R. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Julia R., author.

Series:

Library of the Written Word ; 141.

Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books online, Collection 2026.

Library of the Written Word ; 141

Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books online, Collection 2026

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Book History and Cartography.

History of the Book.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (434 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : BRILL, 2026.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The advent and rapid proliferation of printing created a new challenge for colourists and illuminators: how could they meet this sudden, increased demand for book decoration in the most efficient way possible? This publication, based on a study of hundreds of illustrated books and broadsides, explores how artists working for Nuremberg’s first printers adapted to this radical shift in book production by standardising their output. Illuminators painted identical initials and ornamental borders on batches of books before sale, while print colourists created a distinctive, formulaic style that was employed by multiple workshops. Thus, the rise of printing spawned a new industry of mass-produced hand-applied decoration.

Contents:

Contents

List of Figures

Abbreviations

Introduction: Book Decoration in a Precarious Market

1 Introduction

2 Scope of the Book

3 The Appearance of the Book during the Transition from Manuscript to Print

4 Structure

1 Early Printing in Nuremberg and Batch Illumination

2 The Gutenberg Bible

3 Illumination in Manuscripts

4 Batch Illumination in Early Printed Books

5 Nuremberg Printing and Early Batch Illumination

6 Nuremberg Printing, Standardised Batch Illumination of the 148s

7 Nuremberg Printing, 149s

8 Conclusion

2 Illustrated Printed Books and the Appeal of Colour in the Fifteenth Century

2 Early Batch Colouring

3 Batch Colouring in Nuremberg in the 148s

4 Batch Colouring in Nuremberg in the 149s

5 Koberger’s Colouring Workshop

6 Cost of Batch Colouring

7 Batch Colouring from Other Nuremberg Printers

8 Standardised Colouring in Other Books

9 Batch-Coloured Books and Their Readers

1 Conclusion

3 The Single-Leaf Print in Colour: Illustrated Broadsides of the Sixteenth Century

2 Broadsides with Book-Style Batch Colouring

3 Broadsides of the Sixteenth Century

4 Portrait Broadsides

5 Broadsides of the 153s: Turks and Landsknechte

6 Other Broadsides from the 153s

7 Monumental Woodcuts

8 Conclusion: the Absence of Colour in Single-Leaf Prints

4 Print for Princes: Deluxe Batch Colouring

2 Salus Anime

3 Eichstätt Missal

4 Deluxe Colouring of Single-Leaf Prints

5 Secular Batch Colouring

6 Batch-Coloured Luther Bibles

7 Conclusion

5 The Printer-Colourists of Nuremberg

2 Specialisation in Artistic Practice

3 Specialisation in Nuremberg

4 Nomenclature

5 The Glockendon Family

6 Hans Guldenmund

6 Conclusion: the Proto-Industry of Batch Decoration

1 Summary

2 Identifying Batch Decoration

3 Implications

Appendix A: Printed Books with Standardised Illumination

Appendix B: Illustrated Books with Standardised Colouring

Appendix C: Hand-Coloured Illustrated Broadsides, 147–153

Appendix D: Nuremberg’s Printer-Colourists

Appendix E: Availability of Pigments in Nuremberg

Appendix F: Broadside Colophons

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Smith, Julia R. Printers, Colourists, Illuminators, and the Standardisation of Book Decoration in Nuremberg, 1470-1530

ISBN:

9789004684836

OCLC:

1590084566

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004684836 DOI