A signed binding by John Leighton for John Wise’s<span class="book">The New Forest</span>

Victorian Web Home —> Visual Arts —> Book Design —> Cloth binding —> John Leighton —> Next]

Cloth binding

John Leighton

1863

Light blue cloth with a gilt design

9¾ x 7 inches

This gift book is unusual for two reasons: it was published by Smith Elder, in rivalry with George Routledge, the specialist in this type of material; and it was illustrated by Walter Crane, whose landscapes are entirely uncharacteristic of his style and give no clue as to the later developments in his art. However, the book is a typical piece of cloth binding, with an elaborate design by John Leighton. [Continued below]

[Click on image to enlarge it.]

Photograph and text by Simon Cooke

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]

Though overwhelmingly decorative in effect – combining an impressive mandorla with an ornamental frame – it also presents naturalistic motifs which illustrate the Forest’s flora and fauna. The spandrels at the four corners unite ferns with realistic depictions of the woodland birds: an owl, a bird of prey, a woodpecker and a finch of some sort. Four additional panels are placed around the central ovoid, this time showing mammals: a deer at the top, a pony at the bottom, a squirrel to the left and pine-marten or stoat to the right, eating its prey. The overall effect is richly decorative and evocative. The intricate brass-dies used to impress the gilt must have been worked by a master-craftsman, who worked from Leighton’s original drawings. The book is signed with the usual bold ‘JL’.

Bibliography

Robert Wise,The New Forest. Illustrated by Walter Crane and with a binding designed by John Leighton. London: Smith Elder, 1863.

Created 5 December 2016