EXHIBIT FLORENTING ILLUSTRATED BOOKS

The exhibitions of Florentine illustrated books (Savonarola tracts and Scare Reppresentazioni) now being shown at the Fogg Art Museum is of the greatest interest, not only for the study of Italian woodcuts, but as showing the beginnings of the art of book illustration. In these first illustrated books the book page was regarded as a unit, with text and illustration in perfect harmony. The pictures in general were not intended to apply to a particular passage of the text, but were illustrations of some principle of episode which would serve to arouse the reader's religious emotions. Certain stock illustration appear therefore in different books in different connections. The blocks became worn from repeated use, so they were copied, often three or four times. It frequently happened that the third or fourth copy of a block bore only a slight resemblance to the original.

The earliest dated Florentine book illustrated with a woodcut dates from 1490. After about 1500 the art declined so that it was at its height for only a short time.

The Savonarola collection, consisting of tracts and sermons by Savonarola and writings for and against him, and the Sacre Rappresentazioni, sacred plays, are the most important of the illustrated books printed in Florence during this period, and the even elution of the woodcut may be studied to advantage in them. The earliest cuts showed only a few figures depicted with the greatest economy of line. Later, more figures were employed, backgrounds were elaborated, and an attempt made to achieve realism and expressiveness. The Sacre Rappresentazioni contains cuts made from the original blocks, copies of the originals, cuts made for later editions, and blocks made especially for other books.