The particularly vibrant colour combinations seem a common feature in Scottish illumination at this time. Within the initial B that begins the first Psalm, there is an illustration of King David playing the harp. National Library of Scotland May 3, 2022ġ5th-century Book of Hours – image courtesy National Library of Scotland This 15th-century psalter was written and illuminated at Culross Abbey, Fife. (Thread 🧵) #LookAtThoseManuscripts /cVLG2hwHNi Interested in stunning illuminations, medieval doodles, medical almanacs and advice given to 12th-century Knights Templar on the ‘superfluity’ of beards and moustaches? The collection reveals much information on later owners of the manuscripts, who annotated them or added irreverent doodles as the volumes passed through their hands.”Ĭlick here to view the Early Manuscripts section of the National Library of Scotland The interests, tastes and knowledge of medieval scribes can be seen in these images, as well as the development of the medieval Scottish book hand and styles of illumination. “The digital images provide a new opportunity to gain some insight into medieval Scottish book production,” adds Dr Hogg.

An early 16th-century manuscript written and illuminated in Dunkeld.

A tiny 15th-century Book of Hours from Italy with lavish gold illumination.

A 15th-century psalter written and illuminated at Culross Abbey, Fife.

A 12th-century manuscript of the Rule of the Knights Templar order, including advice on the ‘superfluity’ of beards and moustaches.

A selection of historical doodles showing rich period detail.

A 15th-century folded medical/zodiac almanac, which probably belonged to a doctor based in northern England.

86.15th-century folded medical/zodiac almanac – image courtesy National Library of Scotland Tempera colors, gold leaf, silver leaf, and ink on parchment. Bottom: 'The Crucifixion,' probably 1170s, creator unknown. In French and Latin (with additions in Italian), illuminated manuscript on parchment. Images: Top: Collection of Medical Recipes and Health Regimens, including Receptes de plusieurs expers medecins consernantes diverse malladies (Recipes of Several Great Physicians Concerning Various Maladies), compiled by FRAN?OIS II DE ROHAN et alia. Cuthbert Gospel, and the Lindisfarne Gospels.īe sure to check our exhibits calendar for further updates and additions.

The University of Michigan Museum of Art will host In Focus: Illuminated Manuscript (April 17-August 19), while the British Library plans to roll out a star-studded exhibition on Anglo Saxon Kingdoms on October 19 that will bring together the Codex Amiatinus, the St. Later in the year, two more exhibitions will be unveiled. If on the West Coast, the Getty Museum will showcase Outcasts: Prejudice and Persecution in the Medieval World (January 30-April 8), an exhibition that aims to 'provide glimpses of the marginalized and powerless' in medieval manuscripts.

The exhibition covers four hundred years of manuscript illumination in thirty miniatures from choir books, books of hours, and religious texts. Speaking of Les Enluminures, founder Sandra Hindman's private collection will go on display at the Art Institute of Chicago in an exhibition titled The Medieval World at Our Fingertips: Manuscript Illuminations from the Collection of Sandra Hindman(January 27-May 28). The second, Talking at the Court, on the Street, in the Bedroom: Vernacular Manuscripts of the Middle Ages (February 23-March 16), features thirty-six manuscripts that 'provide viewers unique access to the authentic, spontaneous vision of people in medieval France, Italy, Germany, the Low Countries, and Britain.' The first, Manuscripts of the Middle Ages, runs January 22-27 (in case you're in town for Bibliography Week). At the Morgan Library, Now and Forever: The Art of Medieval Time(January 26-April 29) puts the spotlight on manuscripts from the eleventh to the sixteenth centuries in order to explore 'how people told time in the Middle Ages and what they thought about it.' Les Enluminures will host two different exhibitions in the early part of the year. In New York, three exhibitions rise to the top.

Several institutions are currently or will soon feature major exhibitions of illuminated manuscripts for your viewing pleasure. The new year may be all about fresh starts and future plans, but bibliophiles and history buffs might prefer a backward glance, with a particular focus on the beautiful manuscripts of the past thousand years.

Medieval manuscripts illuminated