The observations are not mine but John Lowden's (The making of the Bibles
Moralisees). The tracing is indeed invisible with the naked eye on the
painted side of the vellum, but on the blank backside, grey lines of
underdrawings are clear. Under raking light it becomes clear that these
lines are not ink, but are relief. Lowden proposes that copies were made
from a workshop model by pressure tracing with a stylus. I wish I could see
the originals! The fact is that the similarities between the two manuscript
is far greater then could ever be achieved with regular copying, and
Lowden's photographs are quite convincing.
Myra
----- Original Message -----
From: "Erik Drigsdahl" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: Pressure tracing
> Dear Myra
>
> Are you sure that the pictures were produced by way of tracing? Is there a
> clear indentation in the surface of the parchment along the outlines, or
> how do you otherwise deduce that the technique has been used?
>
> If you are right is it VERY interesting - but remember that the presence
of
> identical patterns in medieval illumination more is the rule than the
> exception.
> The training of professional artists consisted mainly in practising the
art
> of copying from modelsheets, but I have never read about or seen any
> miniatures where one could suspect the precedure you suggest (i.e. tracing
> like children of today trace cartoons). It's very common to reproduce a
> decorative detail again on the back of the page, when the ink and paint
has
> soaked through the parchment and is clearly visible. It will then be
> reversed on the verso. But this is not what you are aiming at.
> Most miniatures from the 13th cent. are covered by a thick layer of paint,
> which normally would hide any traces of an indentation.
> Please tell us more about exactly what you see on the originals regarding
> the drawing technique, perhaps have we missed something here!
>
> Erik Drigsdahl
>
> At 11:56 -0500 20/12/2000, Myra Struckmeyer wrote:
> > Dear Listmembers, I am working on the production process of two
> >moralized bibles, the Biblia de San Luis and the Oxford-Paris-London
> >manuscript, both produced in Paris in the 1230's. The images seem to be
> >copied from either a workshop model or each other by means of pressure
> >tracing (they are nearly identical) . Does anyone know other examples
> >where a similar method was used? You imput would be greatly appreciated!
> > Myra Struckmeyer Dept. of History UNC Chapel Hill
>
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
>
> Mag.art. Erik Drigsdahl CHD Center for Haandskriftstudier i Danmark
> Kapelvej 25B 3.tv Phone: +45 +35 37 20 47
> DK-2200 Copenhagen N Email: <[log in to unmask]>
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