Fore-edge painting

A fore-edge painting is an image painted on the unbound edges of a book visible when the pages of the book are fanned. It also can refer to an image that is visible on the closed edge of a book. References also refer to the paintings as disappearing or secret images, and they are often hidden beneath gilded edges.

Historically, fore-edge painting has had three purposes: identification, indication of ownership, or artistry. Possibly originating in the 10th century, the earliest known examples feature titles written on the closed edges of a book, symbolic imagery, or heraldic designs. The exact origins are debated among scholars. The technique of the hidden painting gained notable popularity in England during the 17th and 18th centuries. A fore-edge painting does not need to be painted on a book at the time of the book's creation. Unless a fore-edge artist was working with a bookseller or bookbinder, fore-edge paintings are applied sometime after the book has been published making the dating of the works difficult to ascertain unless the work is signed and dated.

Fore-edge painting is practiced today, however, it is still an uncommon art.