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Lilly Library

Fore-Edge Paintings in the Lilly Library

Fore-Edge common prayer cropped

The Lilly Library is pleased to debut another excellent online exhibition developed in 2008 by former graduate student employee, Denise Griggs: Fore-Edge Paintings in the Lilly Library.

This exhibition features paintings created along the fore-edge of pages in a book, an art form that first became popular in the late 18th century. Many of these paintings “vanish” when the book is closed and are only visible when the pages are fanned open, though some of the fore-edge artworks in the Lilly Library’s collection can be seen along the edge of the closed book. The subjects in the paintings range from countrysides to cityscapes, religious devotion to seats of government.

Denise Griggs also developed an online exhibition on English writer Daniel Defoe.

–Virginia Dearborn, Reference/Technical Assistant

View more image clips from the online exhibition here.