Throughout history, images have been used to reflect the meaning of words and to enhance our understanding of texts. With the invention of mechanised printing in Germany in the 15th century, illustrated books were no longer the preserve of the elite and became a source of knowledge, instruction and pleasure for a wider audience.

Traditional accounts of the illustrated book survey its history in terms of technological advances, from illumination to hand-drawn illustrations and photography. This study offers a new approach, grouping books by subject - from natural history and travel to art, architecture and fashion. Gathered here are some of the most influential and compelling examples of the illustrated book, all chosen from the collections of the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

From beautiful printed Psalters and Books of Hours, to striking natural history books such as Audubon's Birds of America, La Fontaine's Fables illustrated by Marc Chagall, Serlio's treatise on architecture and Owen Jones's Grammar of Ornament, this book gives a fascinating overview of some of the finest illustrated books ever created. In the face of recent pronouncements about the death of the printed book, this volume demonstrates the enduring appeal of the illustrated book.

Author: Julius Bryant
Hardback
288 pages
31 x 24.3 cm