Illuminated Manuscript

Handwritten books that were decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colors, or elaborate designs or miniature pictures. Though various Islamic societies practiced this art, Europe had the longest and probably the most highly developed tradition of illuminating manuscripts. These medieval handwritten books were usually done on parchment or vellum. The illustrations themselves fall into several categories: miniatures (small paintings incorporated into the text of border, or occupying a whole page), decorated monograms or initial letters, and decorative borders. Before the year 1000, the books most commonly illustrated in this way were gospels or psalters. The origins of manuscript illumination are thought to lie in 5th century Coptic Egypt. It is now thought that illuminated manuscripts were relatively few in number even at the time they were produced. Very few religious or classical texts survive. After the development of printing in Europe in the second half of the 15th century, illumination was superseded by printed illustrations.

Medieval handwritten books, decorated with paintings or drawings, usually executed on parchment or vellum. The illustrations themselves fall into several categories: miniatures (small paintings incorporated into the text or border, or occupying a whole page), decorated monograms or initial letters, and decorative borders. Before the year 1000, the books most commonly illustrated in this way were gospels or psalters, while large Bibles and Books of the Hours became more popular after this time. The origins of manuscript illumination are thought to lie in 5th century Coptic Egypt; throughout the succeeding centuries works continued to be produced by many different schools and scriptoria throughout Christendom. The Byzantine illuminators worked very much within the naturalistic confines of Late Antique art using a great deal of gold leaf but lacking the distinctive pictorial monogram. In Western Europe the Hiberno-Saxon school developed out of the Christian-inspired cultural revival in that part of the world. The books were characterized by a wealth of abstract spiral and interlace ornament, and stylized figures, combined with large capitals and whole pages of pure ornament; typical examples are the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. The Carolingian and Ottoman schools, which flourished in 8th-century to 1 Ith-century Western Europe were very eclectic, taking inspiration from Antique Byzantine and Hibemo-Saxon manuscripts. Some fíne miniaturist schools, such as that at Reichenau, were incorporated within this spectrum, while the decorative monogram continued to be important. In 10th-century England the new monastic reforms laid the foundations for the Winchester school of manuscript art with its preference for naturalistic figures and foliage and line drawings, best demonstrated on the large bibles of the time. As the Gothic period progressed the art of illumination was no longer confined to religious works produced in scriptoria, but was also carried out in the universities. Romances and Bestiaries were among the illustrated books produced at this time. The invention of printing effectively ended the era of manuscript illumination, although many printed books continued to be illustrated by hand.