Friday 16 May 2014

a Dutch manuscript on watercolours from 1692


It has been a busy week but I have used some of my latte moments to view this fascinating Dutch manuscript on watercolours from 1692. The book or manual was handwritten and painted by a man known as A. Boogert. It is over 700 pages long. Boogert writes about the use of watercolours and explains in detail how to mix colours, how to create hues and change tones by adding more water.

You can read a short description of the manuscript on the website of historian Erik Kwakkel, who points out that it "provides an unusual peek into the workshop of 17th-century painters and illustrators."
You can view the manuscript in high resolution online on the website of the French database E-Corpus. It is kept at the Bibliothèque Méjanes in Aix-en-Provence, France.

I'm in awe with its pages.

Have a wonderful weekend! I will be back on Monday with some news.
photo credit:
1-2, 5-6: via E-Corpus / 3-4, 7: via Colossal (discovered via Architectural Digest)

8 comments:

  1. I love beautiful colors!Rose

    ReplyDelete
  2. What beautiful books, I really love the script.
    When I was an apprentice I spent many hours learning to mix colours, I wish I had such a beautiful record of those times.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lisa, thank you so much for posting this beautiful book. As an artist, I appreciate anyone who takes the time to illustrate their process so painstakingly. Another, more contemporary artist, who shows their details, is Sarah Midda. Perhaps you've seen her South of France? Here is a link to some of its illustrations. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=sara+midda%27s+south+of+france&safe=images&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4Hx4U4nEHIKDO8TpgPgB&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=1017

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reminding me of the work of Sarah Midda. I remember reading about her 'A Sketchbook' a few years ago but I had forgotten all about it.

      Delete
    2. I haven't yet read 'A Sketchbook,' so thank you for mentioning it. I love all the little details in her work. It's wonderful that Boogert's work is accessible online - thank you again for bringing it to our attention.

      Delete
    3. I love how meticulous she is - the little details make her work new every time you look at it. Thank you again for bringing this work to our attention. It's wonderful that it's accessible online!

      Delete
  4. Wow! How beautiful to have survived so many years!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! I cannot stop viewing these pages. I wish the manuscript were available in book form, I would love to have a copy.

      Delete

Your comment appears on the blog after approval. Comments with commercial links are reported as spam.