Fore-Edge Book Painter Carries On Critically Endangered Craft

Fore-Edge Book Painting by Maisie Matilda

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Decorating the edges of book pages is a tradition spanning hundreds of years. Although it is rumored to have gotten its start as a way for British royals to identify their books, it transformed into an intricate art form that includes portraits, landscapes, and scenes from novels. Despite its beauty, this craft is considered critically endangered, with few people still practicing it around the world. UK-based artist Maisie Matilda carries on the tradition of fore-edge book painting by upcycling used books into treasured possessions.

Matilda shares videos of her process on Instagram and TikTok to not only show how this craft is done, but also to inspire a new generation of artists to learn about fore-edge book painting. She begins each piece by showing viewers which book—or in some cases, multiple books—she will be working on before inserting it into a press. This keeps the pages in line so she can begin sketching and painting a design on the edges. The artwork that she creates usually correlates to the story in some way, such as the sweeping landscapes from the Lord of the Rings series, main characters from Harry Potter, and significant scenes from the Twilight books.

“I have always loved art and fantasy literature, so I decided to turn my passions into a career,” Matilda tells My Modern Met. “A few years ago I began my craft, fore-edge painting, and I have been doing it almost every day since. I mostly work on fantasy novels, but have also tried out some classic literature too.” After she finishes her paintings, Matilda shows off the effect by flipping through the decorated pages, showing how the illustration disappears and comes together again as the sheets fall back into place. While this art form is niche and demanding, it transforms even second-hand books into precious objects. Hopefully more artists as well as book-lovers will find appreciation in these artistic renditions of their favorite stories.

You can purchase available painted books via Matilda's Etsy shop, and keep up to date with her latest projects by following her Instagram.

UK-based artist Maisie Matilda carries on the age-old tradition of fore-edge book painting.

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

Game of Thrones Collection

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

Harry Potter Collection

This craft is considered critically endangered, with few artists still decorating books in this way.

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Complete Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” by J.K. Rowling

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Great Dune Trilogy” by Frank Herbert

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Great Dune Trilogy” by Frank Herbert

Matilda shares videos in hopes of inspiring more artists and book-lovers to appreciate the craft.

 

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A post shared by maisie (@maisie_matilda_art)

She decorates a range of novels like the Lord of the Rings series and Harry Potter with detailed illustrations.

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

Harry Potter Collection

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

Harry Potter Collection

Matilda also uses second-hand books to transform something old into a beautiful work of art.

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Great Dune Trilogy” by Frank Herbert

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fore-Edge Book Paintings by Maisie Matilda

“Breaking Dawn” (The Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer

Maisie Matilda: Etsy | Instagram | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Maisie Matilda.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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