The Oxford Apocalypse: An Innovative Codex for an English Prince
If you are curious to know how books were decorated in the high Middle Ages, take a look at the various stages of completion of the miniatures in this English Apocalypse.
Illuminated ManuscriptsPage 4
Everything concerning the original manuscript, including essays on the language, the style, the artists, the miniatures.
Exploring the Bible’s Meanings, Finding Luxurious Gothic Art
Six centuries ago in the Netherlands, innovative manuscript art merged with Gothic style to create a lavish, gold-decorated codex comparing scenes from the Old and New testaments. It is called “Bible for the Poor”, but was it really destined for the common people?
The Most Delightful Model Book of All
Did you ever wonder what Medieval painters used as models? Most of them had never seen exotic animals, and Gothic letters were hard to sketch by memory. One of Milan cathedral’s first architects, Giovannino de’ Grassi, provided them with a model book so splendid it became a work of art in its own right. Scroll down to see the video!
As Precious as Charlemagne’s Crown
The Lorsch Gospels, written with gold ink from beginning to end, is so well-preserved one would think it was made yesterday. Yet its full-page illustrations, glowing with real silver and held together by a carved ivory cover, reflect the height of artistic brilliance of Charlemagne’s court.
Bedford Hours – Unanswered Questions
You have probably heard of the Bedford Hours; many questions about this manuscript remain unanswered, so why not take the time to find out what mysteries linger on this beautifully illuminated codex?
The Sacramentary of Beauvais: A Millennium-Old Triumph of Gold
The ten surviving folios of the Sacramentary of Beauvais are the most striking portions of an 11th-century French liturgical manuscript, in which precious metals mingle with elaborate human figures on intense purple backgrounds.
Vergilius Vaticanus: A Rare Survival From the Dawn of the Literary Codex
Made in Rome in the decades after 400, the Vergilius Vaticanus, an illustrated collection of Vergil’s main works, was so influential in Western art that it served as a model in the artistic circle of Raphael.
Godescalc Evangelistary Facsimile Edition: from the Scriptorium of Charlemagne to Libraries Worldwide
One of the most important manuscript commissioned by Charlemagne to celebrate his Empire, the Godescalc Evangelistary is available in a special library facsimile edition.
Fighting a Pandemic with Stories, in 14th-century Italy
Seven hundred years ago during the Black Plague, one of the fathers of European literature taught the world a unique way to survive during a lockdown: telling each other humorous and extravagant stories. The work soon became acclaimed and inspired a magnificent French manuscript.
A Vibrant, Bilingual Apocalypse From Late Medieval London
The Parker Library at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge holds a treasure of the English Gothic style, made in medieval London and shimmering with tooled gold and kaleidoscopic colors.