論書口彩繪的歷史演變

Historical Evolution of Fore-edge Paintings

書口彩繪是書籍裝幀的一種方式，10世紀萌芽於歐洲，18世紀下半葉復興並發展繁榮，湧現了一批帶書口彩繪的書籍；19世紀末在大西洋彼岸的美國發展繁盛，20世紀傳播到中國。時至今日，書口彩繪依然存在，彰顯了此裝幀方式日久彌新的魅力。書口彩繪裝幀是一種技術，也是藝術。歷史上遺留下來的種種書口彩繪書籍，反映了人們對美的追求，對書籍的熱愛，是書籍史上燦爛的一筆。

Fore-edge Painting is a type of book decoration. Germinating in the 10th century in Europe, it revived and prospered during the second half of the 18th century, when a number of books with foreedge paintings emerged. This technology spread to the other side of the Atlantic and flourished in the United States in the next century. In the 20th century, fore-edge painting also was disseminated into China. Fore-edge painting still exists today, which shows the charm of this kind of book decoration. Fore-edge painting is not only a technique, but also an art. The existing books with fore-edge paintings reflect people’s pursuit of beauty, their love for books through the centuries, which has written a brilliant page in the history of the book.