About this sheet
These two antique handcolored lithographs are colored prints from the book "Costume du Moyen Âge" published in 1847. The prints depict detailed ecclesiastical items from the Middle Ages, specifically a crosier and a mitre.
The first print shows a crosier, labeled "Crosse du XIIIe siècle" (13th-century crosier), which indicates it's a design from the 13th century. The crosier has a curved top with intricate patterns and is predominantly golden with blue, red, and white accents. It is decorated with fleur-de-lis motifs, a common symbol in French heraldry, and what appears to be a stylized figure or emblem in the circular head of the crosier.
The second print illustrates a mitre, labeled "Mitre du XVe siècle" (15th-century mitre), suggesting it's from the 15th century. The mitre is also richly decorated, featuring a yellow-gold base color with patterns in blue, red, and white, and is adorned with precious stones and pearls. Both the crosier and mitre are ceremonial items traditionally used by bishops in the Christian church, and these prints show the elaborate design and decoration that was characteristic of ecclesiastical attire in the Middle Ages.
The colors have a nice glow over them. Historically, egg whites, known as glair, and sometimes egg yolk were indeed used in illumination and painting, particularly in manuscripts, to give colors a brighter appearance and to add a sheen or gloss to the work. This technique was quite common during the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.
Egg whites can be applied as a varnish over pigments to enhance their brightness and to protect the colors. This application could make the colors appear more vivid and also add a slight glossy sheen to the surface of the image.
Egg yolk, on the other hand, was commonly used as a binding agent in paint. It forms the basis of tempera paint, a medium that was widely used before the advent of oil painting. Egg yolk helps to create a durable and long-lasting color that adheres well to various surfaces.
In the context of the print from 1847, it's less likely that egg whites or yolks were used directly on the print, as by that time, commercial printing processes would have been more advanced and less reliant on such manual methods. However, if this print is a representation of an earlier style or is meant to mimic the appearance of hand-painted manuscripts, the original artists might have employed techniques or materials that gave a similar effect to those achieved with egg-based binders and varnishes.
