Illuminated Manuscripts: The Exquisite Art of the Medieval Masterpiece

by D.M. Gill

Before the invention of the printing press, books were made painstakingly by hand. From the earliest days of Christianity through the high Renaissance, generations of cultures influenced the art of writing, none so profoundly as the monks who wrote and embellished Bibles for the glory of God. These illuminated manuscripts, many of which survive today, are among the world's greatest artistic masterpieces. D.M. Gill examines this exquisite art form in all its ornate and detailed splendor, tracing the fascinating and clearly developed changes that occurred over the years, as artists incorporated details and derivations of contemporary styles and experimented with rich, brilliant color. Discussing artistic techniques, the choice of material, and other related topics, this book answers many questions about the art form that captured some of the most important epochs of history in exquisitely gilded pages. 8 1/2" x 11". Color illus.

Genres: Art, History, Art History

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[José Luís Fernandes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes people who don't know anything about the topic learn something new, but it has some awful mistakes (like considering 14th century Sicily was ruled by the Normans) and is very badly organized as it jumps right away to the Insular style without reflecting the origins of the illuminated manuscripts in Late Antiquity besides not even referring medieval Roman or Islamic manuscripts and the chapter on Jewish and Hispanic art is very poor. The art works aren't analized as well and the author confuses an epilogue with a conclusion, while the book itself is very small for the subject.

[Marbeth Skwarczynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information and beautiful illustrations, yet I was disappointed that many of the works referred to were not actually shown in the book. This was especially frustrating in the chapter titled "Other Cultures" which explored Hebrew and Islamic works but showed only one example of the Jewish illustrations and none of the Islamic, instead there were a few Spanish/Catholic works shown. This books gives some interesting insights and offers the names of many artists, authors, and books to explore.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely examples of the manuscripts, Nice bit of history. I was given this book in my mid teens, and I found it fascinating. I suspect to a more informed person it would be a bit simplistic.

[Maire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab, really well written - perfect length. Sat and read cover to cover really great stuff