The Picture Book of Brasses in Gilt

THE PICTURE BOOK OF BRASSES is intended as a successor to The Craft and Design of Monumental Brasses published in 1969.

Again, the illustrations are not negative line drawings but are photographically reduced from original rubbings and turned into positives which are then printed on to a solid gilt base. This gives an authentic reproduction of the original design as conceived by the medieval craftsman.

Unlike its predecessor this book does not give a comprehensive account of brasses; it is a picture book with a short introductory text and captions, which will be of interest to the historian and art critic, as well as the brass-rubber. Most plates are full-page size, and as great care has been taken in the block-making, the fine details of the brasses are clearly shown. Another important point is that because the facial features are positive they appear to have more character and to vary more widely than when viewed as negatives. This leads the author to suggest that many brasses are actual portraits.

There are over 240 illustrations mostly reproduced in gilt and black. Many have been prepared especially for this book and do not appear in The Craft and Design of Monumental Brasses.