Illuminated Title Page from Manuscript Songbook c. 1937

This is a painting by Elmer G. Anderson, who lived from 1855 to 1995, of an illuminated title page from a manuscript songbook. You can see the delicate brushstrokes and the way Anderson layers the colors. I think the artist, like a lot of us, was probably drawn to the original artist’s lettering and the folky, symmetrical layout of the title page. I wonder what it was like for Anderson to copy another artist’s work? The original was probably a labor of love, made for a special occasion. Anderson would have had to slow down, observe, and try to get inside the mind of the original artist. I particularly love the winged face at the top of the title page. It's got this real sense of looking inward, like an icon. Elmer G. Anderson reminds us how the creative spirit echoes through time, transforming and reinterpreting itself.