A Very Proper Treatise

Ondertitel:specialist knowledge for a non-specialist public

This paper discusses the authorship and audience of England’s first printed recipe book which is entirely dedicated to the practice of limning. A number of older sources show congruency with A Very Proper Treatise (1573), both in manuscript and print, and in the various languages it was transmitted. The contribution of the printer–publisher Richard Tottel is that of a compiler. I have identified three categories of public or audience: the intended audience (promoted by the book itself); circumstantial audience (the clients of the bookshop); and actual audience (owners that have been traced through material investigation of individual book copies and archival research). Among this audience, there is a strong correlation between heraldic and artistic interests, which matches the intention of the compiler, who created a book that reaches out to individuals with an interest in painting, writing, and heraldry.

Jaar van publicatie:2020

Trefwoorden:A1 Journal article

BOF-keylabel:ja

Toegankelijkheid:Open