Barbara Williams Ellertson
(The BASIRA Project)
“Spines and Fastenings:
Binding Archaeology in Works of Art”
Abstract of Paper
presented at the 57th International Congress on Medieval Studies
(Kalamazoo, 2023)
Session on “Bound But Not Gagged: The Eloquence of Medieval Book Bindings”
Part 1 (of 2): “The Eloquence of Medieval Book Bindings from German Lands”
Organized by William Campbell
Co-organized by Mildred Budny
Co-Sponsored by the RGME and
the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (SIMS)
2023 Congress Program
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Abstract
What can we learn about late medieval bindings from painters and sculptors of their time? This presentation explores representations of medieval books by such artists as Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) and Lucas Cranach the Elder (circa 1472 – 1553). What does an artist’s portrayal of spine throw-up tell us about its binding techniques? What about its fastenings?
Images for this session are taken from the still-developing database of the BASIRA Project (www.basiraproject.org), which collects and tags images of art between 1300 and 1600. Artists often portray books as they were held, turned, and stored; this paper will focus on art as an information source for historians of the book.
New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Albrecht Dürer, Print of copper engraving of “Erasmus of Rotterdam” (1526). Books both opened and closed rest on the writing desk and the ledge in the foreground. Image via Wikimedia and Creative Commons.
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Also: List of References for “Spines and Furniture: The Archaeology of Book Bindings in Works of Art” as a 1-page downloadable Handout.
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We thank Barbara for her continued contributions to RGME events, including guidance for our Zoom events, advice for our Editorial Committee, and these presentations:
- Episode 1 for “The Research Group Speaks”
- the intended 2020 Spring Symposium (see its downloadable Booklet and her Abstract there)
- the 2022 Autumn Symposium on “Supports for Knowledge”
- this 2023 ICMS paper
with more to come.
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