Bookbinding in Works of Art: A survey of historical evidence in medieval and early modern art

Calling all bibliophiles: this talk offers a brief archaeology of books in European Medieval and Renaissance art, presenting beautiful bindings, clever clasps, and other fabulous "furniture" (such as hinges and medallions). Amply illustrated with art and diagrams, this talk offers a fascinating overview of the variety of forms of the codex as depicted in the jewellike altarpieces and other paintings of the period, revealing otherwise elusive evidence of craft techniques and reading practices.

Speaker

Barbara Ellertson, Founder, Books as Symbols in Medieval and Renaissance Art (BASIRA), an online database hosted by the Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies, University of Pennsylvania

Sponsored by the Publishing Humanities Initiative of the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute and the Duke Libraries.

Co-sponsored by Triangle Book Arts, English, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Art, Art History & Visual Studies, and the History Department.

RSVP at duke.is/PHI-bookbinding