Arte of Limning

Hilliard Nicholas

Treatise on the "Arte of Limning" is one of the most important documents in the history of English art. Published in paperback for the first time, this edition provides a transcript of the original manuscript copy facing a modernised version, extensively annotated. The substantial introduction explores the history of the "Treatise", the life of its author, its historical and artistic context, and the technique of limning. "The Treatise" combines elegance, information, personal forthrightness and spirited observation.

About the Author

Nicholas Hilliard, the first major painter whose name we know, painted the minature portraits from which we recognise many of the people of the court of Elizabeth I. His technique "limning" which utilised water-based pigments, was considered among the highest pictorial arts.

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