. An inquiry concerning the invention of printing : in which the systems of Meerman, Heinecken, Santander, and Koning are reviewed : including also notices of the early use of wood-engraving in Europe, the block-books, etc. . e subject of that art, and evince no small share oferudition; besides that his account of the block-books is rich incurious details, which had escaped the observation of those who pre-ceded him. But his knowledge of the arts of design, was far frombeing such as to render him a sure guide in matters of taste ; and heis often captivated with the worst, whilst he passes by,
. An inquiry concerning the invention of printing : in which the systems of Meerman, Heinecken, Santander, and Koning are reviewed : including also notices of the early use of wood-engraving in Europe, the block-books, etc. . e subject of that art, and evince no small share oferudition; besides that his account of the block-books is rich incurious details, which had escaped the observation of those who pre-ceded him. But his knowledge of the arts of design, was far frombeing such as to render him a sure guide in matters of taste ; and heis often captivated with the worst, whilst he passes by, unnoticed,that which merits praise. Had Lambinet examined the block-books, assisted by any one whohad a knowledge of drawing, he would not have said of them, ( Ori-gine de llmprimerie/ p. 62) that they are almost all alike : and thatthe figures represented in them are rudely done, in mere outline, in agothic taste, &c. He would have learned that the best of them areby no means rudely executed; and he would have seen that thefigures in most of them, and especially those in the Biblia Paupe-rum, the * Book of Canticles, and the Speculum! are not in simpleoutline, but slightly and not inelegantly shaded by
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectprinting, booksubjectwoodengraving
