Sometimes a book’s charms are more subtle than what you find on the cover or between the pages. If you’re not familiar with fore-edge painting, prepare to be delighted. Fore-edge paintings are hidden scenes or designs on the edges of books; you can see them only if you fan out the pages.
Fore-edge paintings date back to the 1600s but now there’s only one commercial painter left (Martin Frost). I hope someone else takes up this profession because it would be a shame if this art form is lost.
Watch this short video featuring Martin Frost:
Learn more about fore-edge painting:
A Centuries-Old Art Form Hides Within the Gilded Pages of Antique Books
On the Edge: The Hidden Art of Fore-Edge Book Painting
40 Hidden Artworks Painted on the Edges of Books
Aspasía S. Bissas 