Highlights about Illuminated Manuscripts

By Amanda BankowskiGraphic Design 1

March 15, 2010Professor Nixon

• Manuscripto Latin for hand “manus”o Latin for writing “scriptum”

• Written by hand• Luxurious manuscripts were illuminated

o Decorated with pictures in bright colors and burnished in gold leaf

o Appeared as if it was lit up• People who owned books: Doctors, lawyers,

civil servants and teachers

Brief History

• Early books made of vellum – goat, calf, or sheep skin

• Books were expensive and rare• Paper became available mid-8th century• Moveable type ended the era of

manuscript production

Brief History

Religious Manuscripts

• Majority of illuminated manuscripts were created for religious purposeso Bibleso Prayer bookso Book of Revelations

• Around the 12th Century other books were also illuminated

Medicinal Manuscripts

Botany Manuscripts

add year

• The formats that illuminated manuscripts use are also used today.

• Some examples include:

Aspects of Manuscripts

1. Text Wrap

3. Multiple Cloumn

2. Double Spread

4. Drop Cap

Text WrapText follows the

shape of the image

Text WrapThe image fits right

into the text

Double SpreadTwo pages

Double SpreadPicture on the left

Double SpreadText on the right

Double SpreadDrop cap

Multiple ColumnsSeveral columns

divide up information

Drop CapFirst letter is larger than the rest of the

text

Drop CapLetter is decorated

to stand out

Bibliography• “CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Illuminated Manuscripts.” NEW

ADVENT: Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09620a.htm>.

• “Curator’s introduction.” British Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/illmanus/curatorintro23275.html>.

• “History of Illuminated Manuscripts.” Phil Barber’s Historic Newspaper Shop. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. <http://www.historicpages.com/texts/mshist.htm>.

• “Illumination History.” Medieval Illumination. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://www.illuminatedpage.com/history.html.