![]() Other letters contain simple author portraits or serve as a frame for scenes of important events in a story. Within the letters, fantastic figures of humans, animals, and mythological beasts clamber through the tangled foliage and occasionally transform into letters themselves. On the pages of medieval manuscripts, vines and luxuriant leaves twist together to create letter forms. Initial D (detail) from a psalter, English, 1420–1430 The types of illuminated manuscripts include the following.November 13, 2007–Januat the Getty Center The Park West collection contains pages from illuminated manuscripts created between the 13 th and 15 th centuries. Eventually, the arrival of the printing press in the 1450s hailed the end of illuminated manuscripts. “You had to be able to afford all the materials.”īy the end of the Middle Ages, illuminated manuscripts became so popular that secular literature, including mythology, poetry and history books were created in this style. “They were a sign of your status,” Ellis says. Combined with an increase in literacy, manuscripts grew in popularity, resulting in an increase of commissions placed by royalty and aristocrats in the 14th century. They would have to gather the materials, make the vellum, and then it was written and illustrated.”Īt first, only clergy had access to illuminated manuscripts, but in the 13 th century they became available to lay people. “It’s not something where people could go into a store and buy one. “They would take years to do,” Ellis says. ![]() By the 14 th century, manuscripts were produced by commercial operations, such as in Paris and Rome. Larger monasteries housed scriptoriums where monks who specialized in producing manuscripts could work without being disturbed. Until the 12 th century, manuscripts were mainly created in monasteries by monks. The most common materials used were gold leaf, silverpoint drawings and various plant-based paints. ![]() The illumination of these manuscripts comes from the process of gilding and painting each page. Nicolas” (Second quarter of the 15th century). “They’re so delicate – they’re made on vellum, and the paints are plant-based, so everything is something that, if not taken care of, can be destroyed easily,” Ellis says. ![]() She explains that the manuscripts are literal pieces of history that date back to the 13 th century, and contain some of the best examples of portraiture from the Middle Ages. Katherine Ellis, a gallery consultant with Park West, has a background in fine art and book making and proves to be an excellent resource in understanding illuminated manuscripts. Over the years, Park West Gallery has amassed a collection of illuminated manuscript pages and made them available to collectors. ![]() Among the most well-known illuminated manuscripts is the Book of Kells, considered to be Ireland’s finest national treasure.Įach page is created by hand, including text, rubrics (text written in red for emphasis) and miniature drawings. These ancient manuscripts were typically used in church services as altar Bibles or to support the daily devotions of monks, nuns and laymen. Illuminated manuscripts are books with hand-decorated borders and illustrations, often adorned with gold leaf. Recto on left, verso on right.Īmong Park West Gallery’s vast collection of artwork from hundreds of classic and modern masters are centuries-old works: illuminated manuscripts. “Christ Kneeling in Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene” (c. ![]()
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