A fore-edge painting is an picture painted on the edges of the pages of a book. 

 

There  are two types of fore-edge paintings, one with paintings on the edges that have been fanned and the other which are painted while the edges are closed.  To see the painting the book edge must be fanned, otherwise it can't be seen.  A fanned painting has watercolor applied to the top or bottom margin of the page and not the actual "fore"-edge itself.

 

A single fore-edge painting has a painting on one side of the book page edges.  Usually, gilt or marbling is applied by the bookbinder after the painting has dried, so that the painting is completely invisible when the book is closed.

 

A double fore-edge painting has two separate paintings on the age margin so that one painting can be seen when the leaves are fanned one way, and the other painting can be seen when the leaves are fanned in the other direction.

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A split fore-edge painting has paintings on both sides of the page margin so that when the pages are split in half, one painting is visible when the leaves are fanned one way, and the other is visible when the leaves are fanned the other way.

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Fore-edge paintings might go as far back as the 10th century and contained symbolic designs.  The first known example of a disappearing fore-edge painting dates from 1649.  The earliest signed and dated fore-edge painting dates to 1653 where a family coat of arms was painted on a 1651 Bible.

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Around 1750 the painting changed from simple decorations to landscapes, portraits and religious scenes, usually painted in full color.

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The majority of fore-edge paintings date to the late 19th and early 20th century on reproductions of books that were originally published in the early 19th century.