Medieval Studies and Research: Illuminated Manuscripts - Studies, History

(…) Featuring illuminated manuscripts from nineteen Boston-area institutions, this catalog provides a sweeping overview of the history of the book in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as a guide to its production, illumination, functions, and readership. Entries by eighty-five international experts document, discuss, and reproduce more than two hundred and sixty manuscripts and early printed books, many of them little known before now. Beyond Words also explores the history of collecting such books in Boston, an uncharted chapter in the history of American taste. (…)

This work introduces the reader to the world of medieval miniature painting and illumination. It presents around 167 of the most beautiful and important medieval scripts from the 4th century to 1600. Many miniatures are reproduced in their original size, some on double-pages.

"Florence and the Renaissance have become virtually synonymous, bringing to mind names like Dante, Giotto, Petrarch, Boccaccio, and many others whose creativity thrived during a time of unprecedented prosperity, urban expansion, and intellectual innovation. With more than 200 illustrations, Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance reveals the full complexity and enduring beauty of the art of this period, including panel paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and stained glass panels. The book considers not only the work of Giotto and other influential artists, including Bernardo Daddi, Taddeo Gaddi, and Pacino di Bonaguida, but also that of the larger community of illuminators and panel painters who collectively contributed to Florence's artistic legacy. It places particular emphasis on those artists who worked in both panel painting and manuscript illumination, and presents new conservation research and scientific analyses that shed light on artists' techniques and workshop practices of the times. Reunited here for the first time are twenty-six leaves of the most important illuminated manuscript commission of the period: the Laudario of Sant' Agnese. The splendor of this book of hymns exemplifies the spiritual and artistic aspirations of early Renaissance Florence."

Illuminated Manuscripts describes the origin and history of illumination in the Middle Ages, covering the artists and their techniques, and the patrons who commissioned them. It explains the subject matter found in medieval works, such as saints and Bible stories and the use of ornamental flourishes, and is illustrated with many fine examples of the genre including the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells.

Those who have had the chance to hold a medieval manuscript in their hands cannot fail to have been impressed by the feeling of being in touch with a long-passed epoch. Back when a book was a true handicraft and every copy the result of a laborious process, the object was more a work of art than a volatile commercial product. The Mega Square Illuminated Manuscripts puts the reader in touch with amazing medieval illustrations and unique adornments, which document the imaginative power of their creators.

Reprint of 1911 ed.

"Princeton University first started collecting Western manuscripts in 1876 and continues to this day with the specific aim of developing a research and teaching tool. That unique collection of medieval manuscripts forms the nucleus of this collection of essays. Stretching from Ottonian to the late Gothic-early Renaissance periods, these studies examine the secular as well as the religious and look at a variety of themes, from the book of hours to the grisaille manuscript. The studies all attempt to place the university's collection in the broader framework of manuscript studies, and a number of them deal with general topics not represented within the manuscript library. Written by some of the most celebrated scholars in the field, the studies make every effort to help us understand the power of the written and illuminated word. (...)"

Illuminated manuscripts are an excellent source of information about the interiors inhabited by people in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Artists regularly depicted the castles and palaces of the ruling classes, as well as the houses of ordinary people--merchants, craftsmen and peasants. This attractive new book is the first to study the subject in such depth, and it uncovers a wealth of little-known illuminations that help us to learn more about life at home, in workshops and elsewhere. The author presents manuscript miniatures as illustrations to an account of house interiors which includes their architectural features (such as windows, doors or fireplaces), furniture and other household objects. She concentrates on the social, cultural and stylistic aspects of Gothic domestic settings and presents them in the context of their Romanesque antecedents and Renaissance successors.

(...) This beautifully produced book is a revised, colour-illustrated version of the long out-of-print Medieval Medical Miniatures first published by The British Library in 1984. Some of the manuscripts illustrated are famous because of the quality of their design and splendour of illumination, but most medical illustration was not work of such refinement and consequently has been largely ignored by historians of art. For the historian of medicine, however, these ordinary manuscripts are just as interesting as the select few because they tell so much of what it must have been like to study and practise the healing arts in medieval times, as well as providing evidence of the changing role of the book in medicine. The colour reproductions presented here reveal the extraordinary range and diversity in subject-matter and style of these illustrations. Peter Murray Jones provides the context, considering each picture as an integral part of the manuscript in which it is found, and interpreting it as a document of medical history.

- Presents a survey of ninety of the finest and most interesting medieval manuscripts produced in the southern Netherlands (present-day Belgium) - Includes detailed descriptions of the manuscripts and 250 stunning color images This book presents a survey of ninety of the finest and most interesting medieval manuscripts produced in the southern Netherlands - present-day Belgium - which ended up in Dutch public collections at various points in time. This largely unknown cultural heritage is displayed here in a vast panoramic context ranging from the tenth to the mid-sixteenth century. The painted scenes in these handwritten books are not only of a high artistic quality, but also present a richly-textured picture of medieval life. The emphasis is on the role of books in the society of the Middle Ages: they served as expressions of sumptuousness on the part of the aristocracy, as richly-decorated books for church services, and as cherished objects used by affluent burghers for their private devotion. The authors also devote attention to the large-size, superbly-illustrated works of history and literature that were produced under the patronage of the Dukes of Burgundy. Other subjects include the Order of the Golden Fleece, the artistic ties between the northern and southern Netherlands, pilgrim badges, and the transition from manuscripts to printed books. The book contains twenty-four chapters, each one consisting of an introduction to the art-historical and cultural-historical context, followed by discussions of individual manuscripts. These chapters were written by fifteen international specialists in the field of medieval manuscripts and book illumination of the southern Netherlands. In addition, the book contains an introduction on the ways in which these manuscripts ended up in the Netherlands, a technical analysis of a number of manuscripts, and a map accompanied by an account of the rise and unification of the southern Netherlands. At the back of the book, readers will find detailed descriptions of the manuscripts. The entire publication is lavishly illustrated, with some 250 magnificent color reproductions.

(...) Toward a Global Middle Ages is the first publication to examine decorated books produced across the globe during the period traditionally known as medieval. Through essays and case studies, the volume's multidisciplinary contributors expand the historiography, chronology, and geography of manuscript studies to embrace a diversity of objects, individuals, narratives, and materials from Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas--an approach that both engages with and contributes to the emerging field of scholarly inquiry known as the Global Middle Ages. Featuring 160 color illustrations, this wide-ranging and provocative collection is intended for all who are interested in engaging in a dialogue about how books and other textual objects contributed to world-making strategies from about 400 to 1600.

2nd. ed. rev., enl. and with new ill.

"The Grand Medieval Bestiary: Animals in Illuminated Manuscripts is a splendid pageant of the animal kingdom as the Middle Ages saw it, illustrated with miniatures of every period and style, many never before published. Noted art historian Christian Heck explains that the prevalence of animals in illuminated manuscripts reflects their importance in medieval thought, an importance due in part to the agricultural society of that age, in which a variety of species--and not just docile pets--were the daily companions of man. The main part of the book explores the complex and fascinating iconography of the individual creatures most frequently depicted by medieval miniaturists. It is arranged in the manner of a proper bestiary, with essays on one hundred animals alphabetized by their Latin names. The selection includes a number of creatures that would now be considered fantastic, including the griffin, the manticore, and the fabled unicorn, tamable only by a gentle maiden."

“A celebration of the visual contributions of the bestiary--one of the most popular types of illuminated books during the Middle Ages--and an exploration of its lasting legacy. Brimming with lively animals both real and fantastic, the bestiary was one of the great illuminated manuscript traditions of the Middle Ages. Encompassing imaginary creatures such as the unicorn, siren, and griffin; exotic beasts including the tiger, elephant, and ape; as well as animals native to Europe like the beaver, dog, and hedgehog, the bestiary is a vibrant testimony to the medieval understanding of animals and their role in the world. So iconic were the stories and images of the bestiary that its beasts essentially escaped from the pages, appearing in a wide variety of manuscripts and other objects, including tapestries, ivories, metalwork, and sculpture. With over 270 color illustrations and contributions by twenty-five leading scholars, this gorgeous volume explores the bestiary and its widespread influence on medieval art and culture as well as on modern and contemporary artists like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst. Published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center May 14 to August 18, 2019.”

Although the advent of the printing press heralded the end of the manuscript, the illuminated text still flourished through the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Many such manuscripts are works of extraordinary expressive power and have much to tell about the history of the graphic arts as well. Roger Wieck's catalogue carefully describes the extraordinary collection of graduals, breviaries, books of hours, and works of classical and vernacular literature assembled over the decades at Houghton Library.

"This handsomely produced publication is the first of a two volume set exploring an outstanding collection of leaves and miniatures from medieval manuscripts. Brimming with beautiful illustrations, this welcome contribution to medieval scholarship covers a period from the late 9th to the late 15th centuries and incorporates new discoveries in this still growing field. (…) The present volume is dedicated to the holdings of single leaves and miniatures from medieval Italian manuscripts, which cover a period from the late 9th to the late 15th centuries, and are enriched by a few Byzantine items (…) There are a number of beautiful pages from legal documents, both French and Italian. And there are also some examples from histories such as the English Chatsworth Roll and pages from a history of the French kings.”

This handsome catalogue is the second of a three-volume set exploring the McCarthy collection, arguably the largest and most important private collection of illuminated cuttings, miniatures, and leaves in the world. Volume I (published 2018) presented Italian and Byzantine entries; Volume III (forthcoming 2020) will be devoted to French entries. The present volume is dedicated to the holdings of single leaves and cuttings from Spanish, English, Flemish and Central European manuscripts from the 12th to late 15th centuries. Richly detailed with plentiful illustrations, it is a notable contribution to medieval scholarship.

Although the advent of the printing press heralded the end of the manuscript, the illuminated text still flourished through the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Many such manuscripts are works of extraordinary expressive power and have much to tell about the history of the graphic arts as well. Roger Wieck's catalogue carefully describes the extraordinary collection of graduals, breviaries, books of hours, and works of classical and vernacular literature assembled over the decades at Houghton Library.

"This handsomely produced publication is the first of a two volume set exploring an outstanding collection of leaves and miniatures from medieval manuscripts. Brimming with beautiful illustrations, this welcome contribution to medieval scholarship covers a period from the late 9th to the late 15th centuries and incorporates new discoveries in this still growing field. (…) The present volume is dedicated to the holdings of single leaves and miniatures from medieval Italian manuscripts, which cover a period from the late 9th to the late 15th centuries, and are enriched by a few Byzantine items (…) There are a number of beautiful pages from legal documents, both French and Italian. And there are also some examples from histories such as the English Chatsworth Roll and pages from a history of the French kings.”

This handsome catalogue is the second of a three-volume set exploring the McCarthy collection, arguably the largest and most important private collection of illuminated cuttings, miniatures, and leaves in the world. Volume I (published 2018) presented Italian and Byzantine entries; Volume III (forthcoming 2020) will be devoted to French entries. The present volume is dedicated to the holdings of single leaves and cuttings from Spanish, English, Flemish and Central European manuscripts from the 12th to late 15th centuries. Richly detailed with plentiful illustrations, it is a notable contribution to medieval scholarship.