The History of Printed Book Illustration in the West

Course Description

The course centers on illustrations in typical publications, with an eye to changing technology and changing reader expectations rather than aesthetic appreciation, although private press books and major artists are also touched on. The focus of the course is mainly English, French, and American material, though book illustration in other Western countries is discussed. The course relies largely on original examples from the extensive RBS collections and materials in UVA Special Collections.

In their personal statements, applicants should give their reasons for wishing to take the course and their background with the topic. Please note that this is an introductory course, so familiarity with the topic is not required.

Faculty

Erin C. Blake

Erin C. Blake is currently the Senior Cataloger responsible for art and manuscripts at the Folger Shakespeare Library. She first came to the Folger in 2000, as Curator of Art …

Advance Reading List

Required Reading

In preparation for the class, please read (or at least skim chapters 2 through 7) of:

• Harthan, John. The History of the Illustrated Book: The Western Tradition. London: Thames and Hudson, 1981; paperback edition, 1997. It’s an old book, but remains the best survey of the topic, and provides a basic foundation for the intense week in Charlottesville.

While you’re working your way through Harthan, take a break from time to time to read the following shorter pieces on prints and printmaking, especially if the topic is new to you:

• Goldman, Paul. “The History of Illustration and Its Technologies.” In The Book: A Global History, edited by Michael F. Suarez, S.J., and H.R. Woodhuysen, 231–243. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. If you can’t get your hands on a hard copy, don’t worry, this will be made available as a PDF approximately two weeks before the class starts.
• Griffiths, Antony. Prints and Printmaking. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1996. Skip the parts that concern only “art” prints if you like (that is, start reading at p. 13, and skip pp. 64–76, 106–112). Note the handy list of abbreviations and glossary at the end, starting on p. 134.
• Ivins, William M., Jr. How Prints Look. Boston: Beacon Press, 1987 (or the original 1943 edition, made freely available online by the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Read from cover to cover, including the “Notes on a few points of interest” in the back. Prefer the 1987 revised edition, which has better image quality and a more logical order (but the same amusingly old-fashioned tone).

Avoid Bamber Gascoigne’s How to Identify Prints for the purposes of this course. It is a fantastic reference resource, but too much of a firehose of information for a history class. The examples in Ivins and Griffiths are enough.

Note that you do not need to bring these books with you to class.

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Course History