For instance, in the English work known as ‘Queen Mary’s Psalter,’ there are over 200 scenes from the Old Testament which are bordered with a simple framework of foliage. Religious themes remained the focus, though like the work of the Irish monks, other subjects were fused into them. In addition, during the 13th century AD, the production of these works of art were no longer dominated by monasteries, but were also produced by laypeople. Of course illuminated manuscripts were produced by other Europeans as well. ( Public Domain ) Secular Themes in Illuminated Manuscripts Image from the Gorleston Psalter, with Medieval musicians on the bottom, Christ above. These documents, which were religious writings, were often intricately decorated with spirals, rose-work, rhombuses, and miniatures. These works are characterized by their fusion of religious themes with Celtic culture and design. For instance, between the 6th- 8th centuries AD, illuminated manuscripts in Western Europe were solely made by Irish monks. Whilst the techniques remained the same, it was the subject matter, the richness, and the people who produced the illuminations that changed over the centuries. Finally, paints were applied to the rest of the image.Ĭhrist in Majesty (12th century) from the Aberdeen Bestiary. By doing so, a shiny surface, which sparkled as the pages were turned, would have been created.

The gold leaves were then laid down on this substance, and burnished or rubbed. Next, a sticky substance was used to paint the areas where gold leaves were to be placed. In addition to this form of ornamentation, the artists of this period added other decorations - such as larger pictures which occupied an entire page, historical initials (initial alphabet letters that contained scenes), as well as decorated borders.Īs for the creation of these decorations, a Medieval artist would first make an outline of the drawing with ink (a procedure that was also used in the ‘Egyptian method’). The Expansion of Illuminated Manuscripts in the Middle Agesĭuring the Middle Ages, miniatures were still used to decorate manuscripts. The Enigma of the Voynich Manuscript: History or Hoax?.4,000-year-old Ancient Egyptian manuscript measuring more than 8ft has been rediscovered in Cairo.Can Mexican plant unravel the enigma of the Voynich manuscript?.Nevertheless, it was during the Middle Ages that the method became more lavish and the types of images diversified. This technique, and the concept of miniatures, can be seen in the Medieval illuminated manuscripts as well. After that, the image would be filled with colors. Portraits, which are often in profile, are found to have been painted in the midst of a manuscript’s text according to the ‘Egyptian method.’ Using this method, artists would have first drawn the outline of the desired image in black. Some scholars believe that the origins of this art can be traced back to Egypt. (Bottom left) Part of the Book of the Dead of Pinedjem II. (Right) Folio 125r containing 12 scenes from the Passion of Christ. (Top left) A page form the Vatican’s ‘Virgil’ ( Public Domain ). Some examples include: The Vatican’s ‘Virgil’, which has 50 miniatures, the Bible of Quedlinburg, which contains the most ancient Christian miniatures known today, as well as some papyri from Egypt. Thus, the earliest surviving samples of illuminated manuscripts are from the 4th and 5th centuries AD.

Although historians of the past have written of their existence, there are no available examples of such manuscripts from this period of history known today. For example, portraits were sometimes painted onto texts. Painted ornaments found in the illuminated manuscripts were first introduced as miniatures in Rome as early as the 1st century BC.

Early Examples of Illuminated Manuscripts There are also examples of illuminated manuscripts with odd additions such as jousting animals, penis trees, and bizarre creatures added to the margins. In addition, there are a few surviving manuscripts from the Late Antique period which have illuminations in them. Nevertheless, the concept of, and the techniques used for, the production of the illuminations were introduced at a much earlier period of time. These documents are perhaps most commonly associated with the European Middle Ages. Illuminated manuscripts are manuscripts that are covered with painted ornaments presented under several forms.

Illuminated manuscripts middle ages