Clare has decorated the edge of this antique book with watercolour sketches of Japanese erotic scenes. To do this she used the dying art of fore-edge painting, a type of book decoration in which watercolour decorations are painted inside the page edge and are only visible when the book is open or the pages fanned.

The edge of this large leather-bound book of Shakespeare’s works has been decorated with a watercolour twin fore-edge painting. A fore-edge painting is a type of book decoration in which watercolour decorations are painted inside the page edge and are only visible when the book is open or the pages fanned. On the left is a scene from A Midsummers Night’s Dream, the middle section features the Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays were performed, and on the right is a scene from The Merchant of Venice.

The scene for this watercolour fore-edge painting was based on John Keats’ narrative poem Isabella, or the Pot of Basil. Written in 1818, the poem recounts the story of a young girl whose family has arranged to have her married to a rich merchant but who is herself in love with her brother’s employee. The poem was a popular theme among Pre-Raphaelite painters. A fore-edge painting is a type of book decoration in which watercolour decorations are painted inside the page edge and are only visible when the book is open or the pages are fanned.

This watercolour fore-edge painting was based on Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. The style of the painting was influenced by the works of the Pre-Raphaelite painters. In this scene, Miranda, the sorcerer’s daughter, looks out over a tumultuous and agitated sea. A fore-edge painting is a type of book decoration in which watercolour decorations are painted inside the page edge and are only visible when the book is open or the pages are fanned.