Paperblanks Journal Midi 7x5" FLEXIS Lined Soft BAROQUE VENTAGLIO Log Diary Red

• Original Art: Book binding
• Era: Baroque Period
• Region: Italy

The gold-tooled red goatskin book cover that has inspired this Ventaglio Rosso design is a classic example of a ventaglio (“fan”) binding. This technique, popular in Italy beginning from the middle of the fifteenth century, suggests a fusion between the Roman-Gothic elements of the time with Arab mudejar art. The geometric compositions, circles, diamonds, crosstrees and knots of this latter style have been created in the gold foiled decorative motif so popular in Italy during this artistic period.

By the end of the sixteenth century such decorations were so popular that the classic frames and negative spaces of Renaissance bindings were almost entirely replaced with this all-covering decoration. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century, from when this Roman binding originates, that the a ventaglio style was fully incorporated as a key element of Baroque artwork. The Baroque period is characterised by passion and grandeur, and the exuberance of the time is nicely tempered with the classical a ventaglio elements used to great effect here. One can see the Eastern influence in the corner filigreed fan which surrounds a quartered rose window.