Folger Shakespeare Library Announces New Exhibition Little Books, Big Gifts: The Artistry of Esther Inglis, Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the Noted Book Artist

(Washington, DC)— The Folger Shakespeare Library today announced the opening of Little Books, Big Gifts: The Artistry of Esther Inglis, which will be on view from Friday, October 25, 2024, to Sunday, January 19, 2025, in the Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall. Celebrating the contributions of Esther Inglis (1570?–1624) as an artist of rare skill and vision, as well as her influence on the cultural and political landscapes of her time, this is the first special presentation to be installed in the Folger’s new galleries since its grand reopening in June 2024, following an extensive renovation.

“I’ve been hooked on Esther Inglis for years, ever since I first saw several of her tiny handmade books in the Folger’s collections,” shares co-curator Georgianna Ziegler, who has dedicated much of her career to studying women’s history in the early modern period. “Writer, artist, embroiderer, author, and working mother of eight children, she’s the first woman in Britain to include a self-portrait with her work. Esther’s intelligence and talents were admired by some of the most learned men in Scotland. She’s also a prime example of the many Protestant refugees from France who enriched their new homeland with their skills. We should celebrate her on this 400th anniversary as one of the most important and creative middle-class women from Shakespeare’s time.”

Esther Inglis, a French Protestant religious refugee who settled in Scotland, is best known for her exquisitely detailed miniature books—many of which are the size of a deck of playing cards—that she gifted to prominent Protestant figures in England and Europe during a period of intense religious turmoil. Alongside her husband, Bartilmo Kello, who served as a diplomatic agent for King James VI of Scotland (later King James I of England), Inglis utilized her artistic creations as both gifts and political tools. These works often included biblical verses, translations, and moralistic writings, and served to secure the favor and support of influential Protestants.

The exhibition highlights a diverse selection of Inglis’ works, including handwritten versions of the Bible in Latin, English, and French, as well as her translations of French religious texts into Scots-English. Her exceptional skill in calligraphy is displayed through her use of a wide array of handwriting styles, created with a quill pen and iron gall ink. Inglis’ artistry extended beyond the written word; her books were often adorned with vivid illustrations, coats of arms, and self-portraits rendered in expensive pigments, as well as embroidered covers stitched with velvet, silk floss, pearls, and silver thread.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are several books Inglis created for Prince Henry, son of King James VI and I, whose untimely death in 1612 at the age of eighteen deeply affected the Stuart royal court. These books represent Inglis’ strategic networking efforts, as she gifted her works to royalty and other high-ranking officials in hopes of securing financial support and patronage for her family.

Little Books, Big Gifts sheds light on Inglis’ life as a 17th century entrepreneur, religious refugee, and working mother. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter some of the smallest, yet most intricately crafted, books of the early modern period, offering a window into a world where artistry and ambition intersected in the most beautiful and surprising ways.

Co-curated by Georgianna Ziegler, Louis B. Thalheimer Head of Reference and Associate Librarian Emerita; Heather Wolfe, Librarian and Curator of Manuscripts; Ashley Buchanan, Associate Director of  Fellowships for the Folger Institute; Little Books, Big Gifts showcases twelve examples of  Inglis’ work, from both the Folger’s own collection and select items from the Houghton Library at Harvard University, illustrating the breadth of Inglis’ artistic, literary, and social networking achievements. Together, the two libraries hold the largest selection of Inglis’ extant works in the United States.

The exhibition will be open to the public during the Folger’s regular hours, Sundays: 11am – 6pm; Tuesday and Wednesday: 11am – 6pm; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday: 11am – 9pm; the Folger is closed on Mondays. Admission is free and related events and talks will be listed on the Folger website. The Folger Shakespeare Library is located at 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC.

Folger Institute Artist Fellow Suzanne Coley and a group of leading Maryland fiber artists will present Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art on Saturday, November 16, 2024, with talks at 11:30am and 2pm, as well as public demonstrations from 3-4pm. In 2023, the group completed a collaborative textile book project with each page inspired by William Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure. The group will share their work on the next book, with inspiration drawn from the minor characters of the play. The event is free, but reservations are required for each talk. On view now in the Folger’s Out of the Vault gallery are Coley’s textile-based translations of Shakespeare’s Sonnets 7 and 151, Gracious Light (2020) and Born of Love (2024).   Patrons may register for Coded Threads here: https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/coded-threads-translating-shakespeare-through-art/

There are currently two gallery talks scheduled in support of this exhibition. The first How to Curate an Exhibition: Little Books, Big Gifts, will be on November 14, 2024, at 6:30pm, and a second gallery talk will be held on December 19, 2024 at 6:30pm. There will also be an engagement table activity located near the exhibition. Entitled From Me to You Gift Exchange, aspiring bookmakers may create their own mini-book to gift someone. All gallery talks and engagement activities are free. For more information about Little Books, Big Gifts: The Artistry of Esther Inglis and related events, please visit https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/little-books-big-gifts-the-artistry-of-esther-inglis/

About Folger Shakespeare Library:

The Folger Shakespeare Library makes Shakespeare’s stories and the world in which he lived accessible. Anchored by the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, the Folger is a place where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. Visitors to the Folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from path-breaking research to transformative educational programming. The Folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way—from communities throughout Washington, DC, to communities across the globe. Following a multiyear building renovation, the Folger’s historic Capitol Hill home reopened to the public on June 21, 2024. Learn more at www.folger.edu

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