Léopold Mussard

A brightly colored image of a 13th century French bowman.

1836

Eight 18th century-era fashion plates from the portfolio Modes, by Madeleine Connat. Paris: Paris Etching Society, 1951. Each an engraving with hand coloring in watercolor on cream ...

Etching on a large sheet of light cream wove paper, Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (after Jean-Honoré Fragonard); Paris: c 1900; 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 inc...

Antique 1845 Hand-Colored Print of a Medieval Spearman in Colorful Tunic and Tights This vivid hand-colored engraving from 1845 depicts a medieval spearman or soldier poised in a dy...

This original antique print depicts an English archer in the act of drawing his longbow, a weapon for which English soldiers were famous during the medieval period. He's dressed in a red garment with a detailed breastplate, and a sword at his side. The longbow was a key English military advantage during conflicts such as the Hundred Years' War. The archer's pose captures the tension and focus required to use the longbow effectively. The source for this print is Costume Di Moyen Age, published 1847. More about the vivid colors of this original hand-colored antique print: 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...