Posts tagged with watermarks in Blog Beyond the Reading Room

Newly featured on the Islamic Manuscript Studies research guide --- a selection of resources for the study of watermarks, especially useful for Islamic manuscript cultural contexts. A selection of these resources was first published 5 September 2012 on a retired blog platform and subsequently enhanced and updated.

This blog post features an extraordinary well-preserved copy of what is perhaps one of the earliest extant drawing manuals that were published in Western Europe in the first half of the seventeenth century. Its author is Odoardo Fialetti, an Italian artist whose professional life flourished in Venice at the end of the sixteenth century; Fialetti had access to Tintoretto’s workshop, eventually becoming an accomplished copperplate engraver. While more than 200 engravings are attributed to him, Fialetti is best known for the illustrations he created for his two drawing manuals published in Venice in 1608 and 1609. Indeed, these two manuals became extremely popular among young artists, having a considerable impact on subsequent European manuals of this type published throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In a few words, a drawing manual consisted of a collection of images of the human body that served as models for young apprentices; these illustrations represented the body in full or in sections, and were arranged in increasing difficulty. Essentially, these manuals were self-taught guides and, since they were meant to be heavily used as opposed to be shelved merely for reference, currently they are rarely found at libraries, museums, or private collections.

This Wednesday's watermark feature: grape motifs in watermarked papers from our Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

This Wednesday's watermark feature: scissors motifs in watermarked papers from our Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

Watermark Wednesdays are back with Paschal Lamb motifs in watermarked papers from the Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

This Wednesday's watermark feature: three hats motifs in watermarked papers from the Islamic Manuscripts Collection. Hats off to a year of monthly Watermark Wednesdays!

This Wednesday's watermark feature: lion motifs in watermarked papers from the Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

This Wednesday's watermark feature is a banner one: watermark in Isl. Ms. 410 (copied in 1487), another of the earliest manuscripts on watermarked paper in our Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

This Wednesday's watermark feature: stag motifs in watermarked papers from the Islamic Manuscripts Collection.

This Wednesday's watermark feature, brought to you by the letter R: watermark in Isl. Ms. 147 (copied before 1431), another of the earliest manuscripts in our Islamic Manuscripts Collection on watermarked paper.