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— CH. 1 · ORIGINS AND EARLY HISTORY —

Illuminated manuscript

~4 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
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  • The earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date from between 400 and 600 CE. These fragile documents emerged during late antiquity as the world transitioned from scrolls to codices. Examples include the Vergilius Romanus, the Vergilius Vaticanus, and the Rossano Gospels. Most extant manuscripts come from the Middle Ages, though many survive from the Renaissance. Paper manuscripts appeared later during the Late Middle Ages. The untypically early 11th century Missal of Silos comes from Spain near Muslim paper manufacturing centers in Al-Andalus. Books ranged in size from pocket gospels smaller than a modern paperback to massive Atlantic bibles requiring more than one person to lift them.

  • Up to the 12th century most manuscripts were produced in monasteries within enclosed scriptoria. Larger monasteries contained separate areas where monks could work without disturbance. If no scriptorium existed, scribes used small rooms with windows open to cloister walks. By the 14th century commercial urban scriptoria had almost fully replaced monastic production especially in Paris Rome and the Netherlands. Demand for manuscripts grew so that monastic libraries began employing secular scribes who lived close by. These individuals often dressed as monks when entering but left at day's end. Illuminators became well known and their identities have survived into history. William de Brailes operated a secular workshop in 13th-century Oxford distributing books through agents.

  • The Byzantine world produced manuscripts with a distinct color palette and unique vellum finish less conducive to long-term preservation. The Muslim world delivered ancient classic works to Western Europe throughout the 12th century using paper for the first time in Europe. Books included full treatises on sciences like astrology and medicine requiring profuse accurate representations. The origins of Arabic illustrated manuscripts remain uncertain though some Qurans from the 9th century featured illuminated frontispieces. An explosion of artistic production occurred in the 12th and 13th centuries with Syriac manuscripts derived from Byzantine tradition yet sharing common pictorial elements with Islamic works like the Maqamat al-Hariri. Persian miniature traditions mostly began in whole books rather than single pages. The Great Mongol Shahnameh from the 1330s stands as an early example of grand illustrated books in Persian courts.

  • Medieval artists used broad palettes including insect-based colors like carmine from Dactylopius coccus insects mixed with aluminum salt. Crimson came from Kermes vermilio insects while lac was a scarlet resinous secretion from various species. Chemical and mineral-based reds included lead tetroxide found as minium and mercury sulfide known as cinnabar. Plant-based yellows included weld processed from Reseda luteola plants and turmeric from Curcuma longa. Orpiment chemically arsenic trisulfide provided another yellow option. Green pigments like verdigris made by boiling copper plates in vinegar were relatively rare on illuminators' palettes. Blue especially ultramarine made from lapis lazuli was valuable and commonly used for depictions of the Virgin Mary. White lead created basic carbonate compounds historically made by corroding sheets of lead with vinegar.

  • Gold leaf applied to manuscripts became a defining feature starting from the 12th century when it was usually polished through burnishing. Scribes considered themselves praising God with their use of gold especially in Gospel manuscripts sometimes written entirely in gold. The gold ground style taken from Byzantine mosaics added rich decoration to text. Gold leaf pieces were hammered extremely thin allowing numerous areas of text to be outlined. Illuminators had to be very careful because gold could adhere to any pigment already laid ruining designs. One popular method involved mixing gold with stag's glue then pouring it into water to dissolve with fingers. When soft and malleable in water the gold became ready for application to pages. By adding richness and depth the use of gold created pieces still valued today despite its value as a status barometer degrading over time.

  • Drawings in margins known as marginalia allowed scribes to add notes diagrams translations and comic flourishes. These additions typically found within decorative borders shaped how readers interacted with texts. Marginalia ranged from intricate illustrations to unusual drawings including centaurs snail and knight combat warrior women battles between cats and mice. Parables from biblical texts appeared alongside personified foxes rabbits and monkeys. Hidden words and messages buried within border decorations prompted readers to scrutinize beyond physical books. Added drawings and messages from the 13th to 14th centuries devoted themselves to recurring themes patterned after stained-glass windows stone carvings and wall paintings. The Birds' Head Haggadah from Germany circa 1300 features fantastic creatures usually animal-headed humanoids known as zoocephalic figures.

  • Wealthy patrons commissioned luxury books like Books of Hours that separated one's day into eight hours of devotion. These were often richly illuminated with miniatures decorated initials and floral borders costing enough only for wealthy owners. Philip the Bold probably had the largest personal library of his time in the mid-15th century estimated at about 600 illuminated manuscripts. One of the best-known examples is an extravagant book made for a French prince. By the end of the Middle Ages even religious manuscripts were produced in secular commercial workshops such as William de Brailes in Oxford. Blank spaces might be reserved for appropriate heraldry added locally by buyers. Growing genre of luxury illuminated secular works was largely produced in cities like Paris Ghent Bruges and north Italy. At least earlier monasteries remained biggest manufacturers producing manuscripts for own use or diplomatic gifts.

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Book of hours

Common questions

When did the earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date from?

The earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date from between 400 and 600 CE. These fragile documents emerged during late antiquity as the world transitioned from scrolls to codices.

Where were most illuminated manuscripts produced before the 14th century?

Up to the 12th century most illuminated manuscripts were produced in monasteries within enclosed scriptoria. By the 14th century commercial urban scriptoria had almost fully replaced monastic production especially in Paris Rome and the Netherlands.

What pigments were used to create blue colors in illuminated manuscripts?

Blue especially ultramarine made from lapis lazuli was valuable and commonly used for depictions of the Virgin Mary. White lead created basic carbonate compounds historically made by corroding sheets of lead with vinegar.

How did scribes apply gold leaf to illuminated manuscript pages starting from the 12th century?

Gold leaf applied to illuminated manuscripts became a defining feature starting from the 12th century when it was usually polished through burnishing. One popular method involved mixing gold with stag's glue then pouring it into water to dissolve with fingers.

Who commissioned luxury books like Books of Hours during the Middle Ages?

Wealthy patrons commissioned luxury books like Books of Hours that separated one's day into eight hours of devotion. Philip the Bold probably had the largest personal library of his time in the mid-15th century estimated at about 600 illuminated manuscripts.

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All sources

41 references cited across the entry

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  32. 32webThe Strange and Grotesque Doodles in the Margins of Medieval BooksAnika Burgess — 2017-05-09
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