Plates and Figures

A Special Note About the Reproductions in this Book: The twenty-two illuminated paintings in the Harley Splendor Solis (1582) had long intrigued me, but I had seen them only in reproductions in books and in slides obtained by Dr. Henderson from the British Library during the 1960s. When we completed the manuscript, I realized that I must view the original illuminated paintings. I secured permission from the British Library and flew to London the very next week. My three days with Splendor Solis manuscript in the Special Collections reading room of the in the British Library, were a high point of my life. I could never have imagined the beauty, subtlety, and detail that I beheld, nor could I have anticipated the profound psychological impact the paintings would have on me. The colors, made from stone and plant extracts, as well as precious metals, were absolutely stunning! It was immediately obvious that all the reproductions in my possession distorted the colors and blurred significant details. Thanks to new, high-quality digital photographs from the British Library, recent advances in color-corrected computer imaging and printing techniques, and Brunner-Routledge's willingness to bring forth an unusual project, faithful reproductions of the illuminated paintings are now available in print for the first time. In addition, to the color plates, our book contains many further images in color, chosen to amplify and illustrate our text. — Dyane Sherwood