South by East: Notes of Travel in Southern Europe (page 1/3)

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The Catacombs at Palermo

At the end of a long dark corridor, lined with coffins, chests, skulls, and the standing dead, we see an archway, and, through the arch, an old man, a monk, standing in a pool of light. This is a very cinematic engraving, even though it predates [...] [more...] [$]

Ornate initial letter “W” with silhouettes of naked women

This ornate capital letter W has a long vertical tail or stem of trellis-work beneath the letter, which is an “inhabited initial” with two women inside it. One of the women, who are drawn as dark shaded silhouettes and face each other, is holding a large shallow bowl. The other woman pours a jug or ewer of liquid into the bowl. it is possible that behind the jug there is a pomegranate. The other initials in this series are religious in nature, so I suspect a libration is involved.

In the book, the large black letter W is five lines of text high, and the stem is another eight and a half lines, giving a total (of course) of thirteen and a half lines. The [more...] [$]

Decorative Initial letter F

A decorative initial capial letter “F” used as a drop cap atthe start of a chapter. It features a Greek urn, a Minotoar or Bull mask, vine leaves, and, at the top, a naked woman riding a creature that has the front of a [...] [more...] [$]

Decorative Chapter Head

A decorative panel above the opening of Chapter VI. A man and a woman—more properly a merman and mermaid—meet in the centre. And don’t tell me the man isn’t gay with that wrist, darlings! [more...] [$]

Portrait of Michael Angelo

“Memorials of Michael Angelo meet one at every turn in Florence. His city is justly proud of him. Mrs. Oliphant speaks of him as “the greatest Florentine master, he who stands alone among the crowd, exceeding all as his gigantic statues tower over all other works, alone at once in greatness and in [...] [more...] [$]