THE ART
OF
ILLUMINATED
MANUSCRIPTS
Prepared by John Hendrix ©2003,
used with permission
St. Gregory with the Scribes
Late 9th century
Ivory
H 20.5 cm, W 12.5 cm
I. In the Beginning:
The Lindisfarne Gospels, 698
Illuminated Carpet Page serving as a division
page between Gospels. Named for its Oriental
carpet-like appearance it was made with a
compass and ruler.
Title Page from St. John’s
Gospel. The work is based
on the Vulgate Bible with
an Anglo-Saxon translation
of the Latin text written
between each of the lines.
The art work is based on
inwoven lines to erase all
blank space while also
creating beasts common
during the time period.
Book of Kells, 800
"The Work Not of Men but of Angels…"
Chi Rho Page
Trinity College, Dublin
(Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1150 AD)
The Four Evangelists
Trinity College, Dublin
Elements of an Illuminated Manuscript
Book of Hours for Roman Use (Collins Hours), Nativity, 1430-40, Philadelphia Museum of Art
II. Preparing the Tools and Canvas
A. The Parchmenter
A parchmenter turns
animal skins into leaves
or pages made of vellum
or parchment.
B. The Stationer or Bookseller--Part 1
The stationer was the man
or woman who owned the
shop where an illuminated
manuscript or book was
ordered.
Creating the Codex
The first step was to determine the overall size of the book
and then to fold and cut the vellum to form the leaves of the
codex.
The cut sheets were usually arranged in groups of four or
five and folded once to compose a quire or gathering.
A single sheet of paper or vellum folded once forms a folio
volume; folded twice the sheet yields a quarto, and three
times an octavo volume.
As a result each quire might have either eight or ten leaves,
forming sixteen or twenty pages.
A series of gatherings sewn together through the folds in the
sheets made up the codex.
C. The Apothecary
The apothecary was the
person who prepared the
raw materials and other
ingredients used to make
pigments or paint from
plants,
stones
and
insects.
See “Materials of Medieval Illumination”
D. The Scribe
The job of a scribe was to
copy exactly the text of an
existing manuscript or an
exemplar.
Before copying the text
the scribe used an awl
and a stylus to prick tiny
holes through a stack of
vellum that served as
guides for ruling.
Today, prickings are not always
visible in a manuscript, for they
were normally located along the
outer edges of the pages and
were trimmed off in binding.
(Manuscript on the right shows
prickings)
Blank sections were also left for
paintings, margins and capital
letters. Red ink was also used
to copy text and red letters
called rubrics used for titles,
initial letters, chapter headings,
comments, interpretations, and
quotations in the body of the
text and in the margins.
Nun's Prayer Book: Historiated Initial D with the Ecstasy
of Mary Magdalen, c. 1450. University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia.
Medieval Scripts
The term "script" is used to
refer to the handwriting in
medieval manuscripts.
There are three major types
of scripts with variations
caused by the script's ductus
or the speed and care with
which the letters were
formed. The types of scripts
are set script, cursive script
and current script.
There are also three major fonts used during the Medieval Period:
Carolingian Minuscule
A fragment from a Missal, Italian, 11th or 12th century. Library
of Philadelphia.
Gothic
Book of Hours for Rome Use (Collins Hours). Belgium,
c. 1445-1450. Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Bâtarde
Book of the Castle of Work, France, c. 1430-1440. Library of Philadelphia.
E. The Artist/Illuminator
A true "illuminated" manuscript
is one with pages "lighted" with
gold.
Leaf from a Book of Hours,
Library of Philadelphia.
The artist then painted small
pictures, marginalia and capital
letters
that
announced
the
beginning of a new section or
paragraph while illustrating the text.
Historiated initial S with the Holy Spirit, from a missal made for Cardinal Giulio de' Medici.
Library of Philadelphia.
F. The Stationer or Bookseller -- Part 2
The stationer bound the book. He cleaned up the leaves,
assembled them in order, and then gathered the pages into a
codex or folded book. The gatherings were sewn together and
attached to a spine and attached to wood boards covered with
leather and often fitted with clasps or ties.
Sewing the quires on a
frame.
Trimming the ends of
the cords and pegs on
the outside of the
boards.
Sewn text block with
sewing and endband cords
extending on either side.
Illustrations from Abigail B. Quandt and
William G. Noel, "From Calf to Codex," in
Leaves of Gold: Manuscript Illumination
from the Philadelphia Collections.
Library of Philadelphia, MS
Widener 3
A rare survival of a fifteenth-century binding. The brown
calfskin is stamped with panels of grapevines and animals.
The actual paintings in the clasps are about the size of a
U.S. nickel. The painting in the top clasp shows the Virgin
being entertained by an angel; the bottom shows Veronica
and her miraculous veil.
III. Types of Illuminated Manuscripts
A. Bibles
Religious texts, particularly Bibles, account for a large
proportion of manuscript books.
Many of the famous early manuscripts were Gospel books, the
Gospel accounts of the life of Christ along with canon tables
listing the passages that were the same in each Gospel.
Complete Bibles often occupied several volumes.
Bibles intended for public use were often quite large to
impress the members of the congregation; smaller volumes
were made for personal use, or sometimes for traveling clergy.
Smaller Bibles were also being produced for student use.
Initially Bibles were written in Latin, but Bibles written in the
vernacular gradually came into use.
The Widener Thirteenth Century Bible
King David and a Fool
The miniature shows a
fool before King David,
who is enthroned and
surrounded by courtiers.
This is the standard
illustration for Psalm 52,
which begins" "The fool
said in his heart: there is
no God."
David (died 962 BCE) is
said to be an ancestor
of Jesus. This page is
from a section of the
Bible dedicated to the
lineage of Jesus.
By the workshop of the Master of the Echevinage de Rouen, France, c. 1465-75, Library of Philadelphia
Inhabited initial H to Exodus
Cutting from a Bible, 1150
France, Champagne or Burgundy, c. 1150
Glencairn Museum, Pennsylvania.
Cutting: 6-1/8 x 6-1/4 inches
This inhabited initial was
elaborately
decorated
because it opened the Book
of Exodus in what was once
a large, splendid monastic
Bible made around 1150.
When an entire page with all
its miniatures, marginalia,
capitals and calligraphy was
removed it is referred to as a
leaf. A cutting is usually a
miniature painting with no
calligraphy. In the case of
this cutting, the miniature
painting is the inhabited initial
h.
The Story of Adam and Eve
C. 840
The British Library
This page from the
Moutier-Grandval Bible
c.840 depicts the story of
Adam and Eve in a
series of panels. To
produce a codex this
large would require the
skins of between 200 and
300 sheep. A sheep skin
retails for approximately
$165, meaning that at
today's prices the vellum
for a manuscript this size
would
cost
between
$32,000 and $50,000.
Historiated Initial I with the
Seven Days of Creation
and the Crucifixion,
c. 1250–60
Extending the entire length
of the page, this initial I that
begins the Book of Genesis
has seven compartments
showing
the
days
of
Creation.
Northern France, Swarthmore College Libraries,
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
B. The Apocalypse
The British Library
English Apocalypse, c 1260
The Apocalypse or Book of
Revelations recounts St.
John's visions, including
those that tell of the end of
the world.
Washington University Libraries
St. John on Patmos with
demon stealing his writing
instruments, 1450
Demons often show up with
malicious grins and engage
in devious activities.
C. Service Books
A range of books made for use during communal church
services, containing the various prayers, readings, chants and
instructions for the conduct of the Mass.
1. Missals
A missal is a book that
contains the texts and
music to be used in
the Catholic Mass
throughout the year.
British Library
2. Psalters
The psalter was another form of religious text, containing the
text of the 150 Psalms, a cycle of calendar pages, used for
calculating feast days and commemorating the lives of the
saints, and a collection of canticles and creeds. If created for
private use they also contained other texts/prayers chosen by
person commissioning the volume.
The Burnet Psalter
Prayer, Domine
deus omnipotens
pater
Aberdeen University Library
The Trinity: Father, tiara
on head supporting the
crucified Son before Him
over whose head is a
minute dove.
Scenes from the Life of King David
Gallican Psalter with Canticles, by Nikolaus Bertschi
Germany, Augsburg, c. 1520
This is an opening page from a
Psalter containing events from
the life of David, author of most of
the 150 psalms.
This page
begins with Psalm 1 and is
illustrated with images and rubrics
in the margin. Rubrics are used
as titles, chapter headings, or
instructions.
The Library Company of Philadelphia
King David playing a musical instrument
inside the historiated initial B.
3. Breviary
The Breviary was a prayer book used by the clergy as the
principal service book for the Divine Office, a series of eight
services that took place at fixed intervals during the day.
Bethune Breviary-Missal
Northeastern France, c 1290-1310
The
Bethune
Breviary-Missal
contains services for the first half
of the ecclesiastical year (winterspring). The Missal includes two
gold bordered illuminations:
•Crucifixion scene with Mary and
John
•Annunciation scene with standing
figures shown here.
Breviarum Romanum, Venice, 1478 by printer Nicolaus Jenson.
Printed on vellum, painted by ‘Petrus V’.
Calendar with pen and ink drawings.
Resurrection Scene
King David Enthroned in a Landscape
King David Praying in the Waters
4. Book of Hours
The Book of Hours—the main prayer book used in medieval
Europe—was divided into eight sections (or "hours") that were
meant to be read at specific times of day to help the reader
secure salvation for himself and his departed loved ones.
The Collins
Hours,
1430-1440
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Book of Hours for Rome Use, France,
c. 1475-80
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Book of Hours for Bourges Use,
France, c. 1500
The Free Library of Philadelphia
Calendar Leaves from the
Hours of Henry VII, c. 1480
Philadelphia Museum of Art
D. Musical Manuscripts
With the introduction
of musical notation,
musical manuscripts
began to be produced.
Unbound
ancient
manuscripts or choir
books which preserve
music for those of the
highest stature are
called
antiphoners.
Those that preserve
music for the masses
are called graduals.
Musical manuscripts
were generally large
so a number of people
could follow from one
book.
Antiphoner for Clement VII Chant & Papal Crown, 1530
19.25" x 25.75"
The Vatican Library Collection
Diurnal Antiphonary
Italy, Milan, early 1500s
Library of Philadelphia
Historiated Initial M with
Christ and the Apostles
Biblia Pauperum, Germany
c. 1435
Library of Philadelphia
E. Beastiary
A Bestiary is a collection of short descriptions,
often written in the vernacular about all sorts of
animals, real and imaginary, birds and even
rocks, accompanied by a moralizing explanation.
Although it deals with the natural world it was
never meant to be a scientific text and should
not be read as such. Some observations may be
quite accurate but they are given the same
weight as totally fabulous accounts. The Bestiary
appeared in its present form in England in the
twelfth century, as a compilation of many earlier
sources, principally the Physiologus.
The Creation of the Animals
The Aberdeen Bestiary, 1542
University Library, University of Aberdeen
Adam Names the Animals
The Aberdeen Bestiary, 1542
University Library, University of Aberdeen
The Beaver. The Ibis
The Aberdeen Bestiary, 1542
University Library, University of Aberdeen
The Hyena
The Aberdeen Bestiary, 1542
University Library, University of Aberdeen
F. Histories, Chronicles, Ancient Texts, Romances,
Literature and Herbals
Translations of a variety of ancient texts, such as those by
Aristotle, Plutarch and Virgil were produced in manuscript form as
were a variety of different histories and chronicles which
described recent as well as past events.
From the twelfth century, textbooks on the topics of theology, law,
medicine, arithmetic, astronomy, logic and grammar were more
widely available. These were produced in all sizes and to suit a
range of budgets.
In the later medieval period increased levels of literacy meant that
there was a demand for contemporary literature, often written in
the vernacular. The writings of Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio and
Chaucer were produced in manuscript form, often with
accompanying illuminations.
Herbals were books that dealt with culinary and medicinal
properties of plants.
The Death of King
Harold, c. 12801300
The British Library
An Opening from an
English Manuscript on
Medical and Herbal Lore,
late 12th Century.
The British Library
Fall of Princes by John Lydgate
England, c. 1465–75
Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia
Les regnars traversant les
perilleuses voyes des folles
fiances du monde by Jean
Bouchet, Ghent, c. 1505–10
Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia
St. Augustine's The City of God:
The Building and Destruction of Troy,
13th Century
Museum of Philadelphia
The Author Joins Other Laborers in the
Castle of Work, La Voie de Povreté ou de
Richesse (Le Livre du Chastel de Labour)
by Jacques Bruyant, France, c. 1430-40
Free Library of Philadelphia
Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Anatomical Man
An Indulgence
Beinecke Library, Yale University