Chapter 4: Illuminated Manuscripts

Transcription

1 Chapter 4: Illuminated Manuscripts

2 hat is an illuminated letter?

3 n illuminated letter is an embellished letter.

4 The word illuminate means to

5 An illuminated manuscript is a handwritten text supported by the decoration of initials, borders and miniature illustrations. Many illuminated manuscripts were decorated with gold and silver.

6 Throughout the Middle Ages All documents and books were handwritten. Called "manuscripts" - from the Latin words for hand (manu) writing (script) Manuscripts" were produced before printing ushered in the European Renaissance.

7 Writing and books were in the hands of the literate nobility, merchant upper class and the church. Most books were made by monks and nuns in a monastic scriptorium, the room(s) reserved for producing books.

8 During the Middle Ages, ancient literature was transcribed by monks to highly decorated texts called Illuminated Manuscripts.

9 Who was needed to create illumination? A parchementer to make the parchment from the animal skin. A scribe to do the calligraphy. An Illuminator who actually created the illuminated letters and other decorations on each page. A bookbinder to sew the individuals pages into a book format and make the leather binding.

10 The Vatican Manuscript of Vigil s Aeneid, 5 th c Illustrated manuscript written in Roman. One of the oldest surviving illustrated codices. Manuscripts in the classical style were often lettered in rustic capitals in one wide column on each page, with illustrations the same width as the text column framed in bright bands of color.

11 The Vatican Vigil The human figures are painted in classical style with natural proportions. There is no separation between words to leave room for the illustrations. The art is more valued than the actual writing. The Vatican Manuscript of Vigil s Aeneid, 5 th c

12 Uncials Rounded, freely drawn majuscule( uppercase letterform) letters suited to rapid writing The curves reduced the number of strokes Written between two guidelines that were one inch apart

13 Half Uncials Minuscules ( lowercase letterforms) True ascenders and descenders Easy to write and increased legibility

14 Origin of Typeface

15 Typeface Capitalis Quadrata Capitalis Rustica Half-Uncial Uncials Carolingian Minuscules Uncials Gothic

16 The Book of Durrow It is the earliest fully designed and ornamented Celtic book. The man, symbol of Matthew 7th Century A.D. The pages are made of a fine animal skin called vellum. The palette of colors was limited. Mostly reds, yellows, and greens were used.

17 Ornament was used in three ways: Ornamental frames or borders were created to enclose full-page illustration Opening pages of each gospel and other important passage were signed out for illumination Full pages of decorative design called carpet pages were bound into the manuscript. The Book of Durrow

18 The first letter of the text is decorated and ornamental, possibly influencing the styles of future religious texts. The following letters are surrounded by dots creating separation from the decoration and the words. The Celtic manuscript was revolutionary in terms of design innovation because writers left spaces between words.

19 The Book of Durrow The Lindisfarne Gospels, carpet page facing the opening of Saint Matthew Named carpet pages because they looked like oriental carpets to later observers.

20 Book of Kells The book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript book written in Latin. It was created by Celtic monks. The Book of Kells is not simply a religious manuscript. True, it contains the four gospels of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John and that was the sole original purpose of the book. The book is, quite simply, considered a crowning glory of the Celtic art form, and possibly one of the most important treasures of Western Europe. Linear, complex, abstract

21 History of the Book of Kells Created in 800 A.D. Stolen by Vikings Thrown into bog in a leather bag Largely intact because of preservatives found in bogs Illuminated letter from The Book of Kells, circa 800 A.D..

22 Book of Kells No one symbol duplicated elsewhere in the book. In one spot there are over 158 lacings of a white ribbon contained in a square inch and nowhere can there be found an error by the artist, even after searching with a magnifying glass. It is no wonder that for many years, it was believed that only angels could have written the Book of Kells.

23 The Book of Kells The most ornate manuscript in existence: housed in Ireland Ireland's finest national treasure The chief relic of the Western World Page from The Book of Kells, circa 800 A.D.

24 The Book of Kells, like many illuminated manuscripts, was originally housed in a gold, jeweled cases. The Book of Kells case was probably taken by the Vikings when it was in transport. Book of Kells

25 Book of Kells Matthew s man, Mark s lion, Luke s ox, and John s eagle float in four rectangles wrapped in a densely ornamented frame. Winged and stylized almost to abstraction The Book of Kells, symbols for authors of the four Gospels, c CE

26 Book of Kells The remarkable originality of the hundreds of illustrated initials is suggested by the variety of imaginative forms in the six initials on this one page. The Book of Kells, text page with ornamental initials, c CE.

27 Tollund Man The Tollund Man is a naturally mummified corpse of a man who lived during the 4th century BCE, during the period characterised in Scandinavia as the Pre-Roman Iron Age.

28 Diptych painting with scenes featuring Jesus and Mary, circa 1700

29 Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) bandolier bag circa 1900 (left) and beadwork detail

30 Examples of Norwegian tradition of rosemaling (rose painting), applied to functional items such as baskets or chests.

31 Trace the development of design and decoration in the CAPITAL N Cathach 6 th Book of Durrow 7 TH.C. Book of Kells 8 th C.

32 Caroline minuscule It is forerunner of our contemporary lowercase alphabet Set apart instead of joined and reduced the number of ligature Practical and easy to write Became the standard throughout Europe for a time

33 Figure 4-11

34 Caroline minuscule The capitularies is a compilation of law codes assembled by Ansegisus The text is in Caroline minuscule with headings in rustic and a version of square capitals.

35 Figure 4-13

36 Spanish Pictorial Expressionism Flat shapes of intense color were used. Starting in the center of the top line, the inscription reads down, left, and right, establishing a labyrinth of letterforms. Commemorative labyrinth from Pope Gregory s Moralia in Job, 945

37 Figure 4-15

38 Figure 4-16

39 Romanesque and Gothic manuscripts The Pauline Epistles, from the mid-twelfth century, is a supreme example of the French gothic style. The serpentine initial letter on the left-hand page recalls the complexity of Celtic manuscript design.

40 Figure 4-18

41 The Ormesby Psalter Early 1300s in England. Decoration, illustration, and initials are joined into a single completext frame. Red and blue prevail in many late Gothic manuscripts.

42 Islamic Manuscripts

43 Islamic Manuscripts Figure 4-21

44 Islamic Manuscripts Illumination, 13-19c The manuscript is written on a highly polished paper in an elegant script. Intricate patterns with interlocking forms and vibrant colors share design motifs with Islamic architectural decorations and carpets.

45 Islamic Manuscripts Figure 4-23

46 Book of hours In the later Gothic period and in the 1400s, a private devotional text, became the most popular manuscript book produced. It contains prayers, religious texts for each hour of the day, and calendars listing the days of important saints.

47 The Limbourg brothers, 1413 In 15c, the Limbourg brothers created their masterpiece which included an illustrated calendar depicting seasonal activities of each month crowned with graphic astronomical charts. Both pictorial and written information is presented with clarity, attesting to a high level of observation and visual organization.

48 Gustav Klimt, The Kiss,

49 Essay Question Define the purpose of illuminated manuscripts and describe the costly and time-consuming production process. Discuss materials and tools, and identify the roles of the different people involved in the production process.

50 Figure 4-26