149. Vignette

Kyle and Emily look at the meaning and origin of vignette, a word which gives them snapshots of life in everything from illuminated manuscripts to early photography, and from book illustrations to theatrical tableaus.

This word starts as nothing more than a small and humble vine. However, it wound its way into the world of illustrated manuscripts, early printing, and wood engraving. Our hosts discuss how this vine grew into a delicately painted border, and later joined the world of photography and instagram filters as well.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it turns out it’s also worth adding a few words. Kyle discusses the little “slice of life” tableaus used to break up otherwise dull books. And Emily discovered how those evolved into little scenes in literature and theatre.