- Illumination of books and manuscripts, French (x)
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Show moreCaption "This small Psalter leaf illustrates the fact that, although skilled scribes were available in many monasteries in the XIIIth century, some of the monks who attempted to apply and burnish the gold leaf were still struggling with many problems of illumination. The famous treatise De Arte illuminandi and Cennino Cennini's Trattato were both of later date. These works gave directions on how to prepare and use the glair of egg, Armenian bole, stag-horn glue, and hare's foot, and on how to burnish the gold with a suitable wolf's tooth. These books might not have been too helpful, however, for the author of the De Arte Illuminandi adds, "Since experience is worth more in all this than written documents, I am not taking any special pains to explain what I mean." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "This copy of the Latin version by St. Jerome was made during the period when France stood at the height of her medieval glory. A decade or two before, Louis IX (Saint Louis), the strongest monarch of his age, had made France the mightiest power in Europe. This favorable political situation rendered possible the "golden age" of the manuscript, and Paris became the center in which the finest manuscripts were written and sold. In the quarter century from 1275 to 1300, marked advances were effected in the art. The bar borders came to be executed in rich opaque gouache pigments, with ultramarine made of powdered lapis lazuli predominating. The foliage scroll work inside the initial frame created a style that persisted with little or no change for nearly two hundred years. The script was well executed and was without rigidity or tension. All these elements, together with the sparkle which was created by the casual distribution of the burnished gold accents, give to this leaf a striking atmosphere of joyous freedom." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "This manuscript, a special gift to a church in the city of Beauvais, was written for Robert de Hangest, a canon, about 1285 A.D. At that time, Beauvais was one of the most important art centers in all Europe. The ornament in this leaf shows the first flowering of Gothic interest in nature. The formal hieratic treatment is here giving way to graceful naturalism. The ivy branch has put forth its first leaves in the history of ornament. The writing, likewise, is departing from its previous rigid character and displays an ornamental pliancy which harmonizes with the decorative initials." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Transitional Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "Breviaries were seldom owned by laymen. They were service books and contained the Psalter with the versicles, responses, collects and lections for Sundays, weekdays, and saints' days. Other texts could be included. A Breviary, therefore, was lengthy and usually bulky in format. Miniature copies like the one represented by this leaf are rare. The angular gothic script required a skilled calligrapher. It would be difficult for a modern engrosser to match, even with steel pens, the exactness and sharpness of these letters formed with a quill by a XIIIth century scribe. Green was a decorative color added to the palette in the late XIIIth century in many scriptoria. The medieval formulae for making it from earth, flowers, berries, and metals are often elaborate and strange. This manuscript was written on fine uterine vellum, i.e., the skin of an unborn calf. It evidently had hard use, or may have been buried with its owner." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from England.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "The Breviary is one of the six official books used by the Roman Catholic Church in its liturgy. It is a book of prayers for the clergy, giving the directions for all of the various services of the Divine Hours throughout the year. The other five official books are the Pontifical, the Missal, the Ritual, the Martyrology, and the Ceremonial of the Bishops. The angular script in this leaf is executed with great skill and precision. The small and vigorous black initials and the hair line details found in many of the ascenders and terminal letters indicate the work of a superior calligrapher, skilled not only in writing but also in sharpening his quill. The initials and the dorsal decorations also represent the same high standard of craftsmanship. Strangely, the rubrications do not show as great a calligraphic skill. Usually it was the task of a superior scribe to insert the rubrics or directions for conducting the service." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "At important festival services such as Christmas and Easter these small hymnals were generally used by the laymen as they walked in procession to the various altars. Much of the material incorporated in the hymnals was based on folk melodies. Hymns, like the other chants of the Church, varied according to their place in the liturgy. Their melodies are frequently distinguished by a refrain which was sung at the beginning and at the end of each stanza. The initial letter design of this leaf persisted with little or no change for a long period, but the simple pendant spear was used as a distinctive motif for not more than twenty-five years." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script, Gregorian Notation. This manuscript was probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "In the middle of the XIVth century many of the manuscripts show influences from other countries. Illuminators, scribes, and other craftsmen traveled from city to city and even from country to country. While the script of this leaf is almost certainly French, the initial letters and filigree decoration might easily be of Italian workmanship, and the greenish tone of the ink suggests English manufacture. The dorsal motif in the bar ornament is again decidedly French, and the lemon tone of the gold is a third indication of French origin. In England, the burnished gold elements are generally of an orange tint, due to the presence of an alloy; in Italy, they are a rosy color because the underlying gesso or plaster base was mixed with a red pigment." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption: "The Psalter with its one hundred and fifty psalms is the best collection of religious lyrics which the world possesses. It is no wonder, therefore, that it forms an important part of so many medieval manuscripts. The Psalms are found not only in manuscripts of the Bible, but also in Missals, Breviaries, and Books of Hours; and, as they had to be memorized by the priests, they were also transcribed separately. In the earlier periods there was generally a harmonious unity between the spirit of the ornament and the character of the writing. This unity is exemplified in this leaf. The three-lobed, gracefully drawn symmetrical fronds of leaves in the ornament are usually accepted without question as representing the ivy plant. In the Middle Ages many magical and medicinal qualities were attributed to this plant. Unfortunately, fire and water, mice and men have in the course of the centuries often left their damaging marks on manuscript leaves. Some pages of this manuscript book show the effect of having been exposed to dampness." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "The fact that this Missal honors particular saints by its calendar and litany indicates that it was made by friars of the Franciscan order. This was established in 1209 by St. Francis. These wandering friars with their humility, love of nature and men, and their joyous religious ferver, soon became one of the largest orders in Europe. This leaf, with its well written, pointed characters and decorative initial letters, has lost some of its pristine beauty, doubtless through occasional exposure to dampness over a period of 600 years. The green tone of the ink is more frequently found in English manuscripts than in French. However, the ornament and miniature on the opening page of the manuscript definitely indicate that it is of French origin." (written by Otto Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption: "This Book of Hours shows definite characteristics of the manuscript art of France and the Netherlands of about 1450 A.D. It was probably one of many copies prepared for sale at a shrine to which devout pilgrims came to worship or to seek a cure. The spiked letters and the detached ornamental bar are unmistakably Flemish in spirit, while the free ivy sprays are distinctively French. The burnished metal in the decorations shows the use of alloyed gold (oro di meta) as well as silver. Various metals were added in different localities to the fine gold. English illuminations frequently had a decided orange hue, while the French had a lemon cast. The quality of the gold was best enhanced by the use of burnishing tools equipped with an emerald, a topaz, or a ruby. Less successful burnishers contained an agate or the tooth of a wolf, a horse, or a dog." (written by Otto Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from Northern France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "It is generally no great task to assign these illuminated Books of Hours to a particular country or period. The treatment of the ivy spray with the single line stem and rather sparse foliage is characteristic of the work of the French monastic scribes about the year 1450 A.D. The occasional appearance of the strawberry indicates that the illuminating was done by a Benedictine monk. Fifty years earlier the stem would have been wider and colored, and the foliage rich; fifty years later the ivy and holly leaves would be entangled with flowers and acanthus foliage." (written by Otto Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript was probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "The text of a Book of Hours consists of Gospels of the Nativity, prayers for the Canonical Hours, the Penitential Psalms, the Litany, and other prayers. The beauty of the rich borders found in some of these books frequently claims our attention more than the text. In these borders it is easy to recognize the ivy leaf and the holly, but is usually more difficult to identify the daisy, thistle, cornbottle, and wild stock. The monks had no hesitancy in letting these flowers grow from a common stem. Because of the translucency of vellum, the flowers, stems, and leaves of the border were carefully superimposed on the reverse side in order to avoid a blurred effect." (written by Otto Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript was probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "Jerome, the father of the Latin Church and translator of the Bible, shows in his writings his active participation in the controversies of his day (c. 332 to 420 A.D.). With the frequent use of vehement invective, he is often as biting as Juvenal or Martial. This fine book hand, lettre de somme, obtained its name from the fact that Fust and Schoeffer used a type based on it for the printing of their Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1467. It was the favorite manuscript book hand in the second half of the XVth century for the transcribing of French chronicles and romances. Simplicity and dignity are maintained by omitting all enrichment around the burnished gold letters. The first printed books followed the practice seen here of marking off by hand and with a stroke of red the capitals at the beginning of each sentence. Fifteenth century ink frequently had a tendency to fade to a gray tone as in this example." (written by Otto Ege) This vellum leaf was created in France. In Letter de Somme Script.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "Books of Hours, beautifully written, enriched with burnished gold initials, and adorned with miniature paintings, were frequently the most treasured possessions of the devout and wealthy layman. They were not only carried to chapel but were often kept at the bedside at night. Oaths were sworn on them. Books of this small size, two and one-half by three and one-half inches, are comparatively rare. The craftsmanship in this example imitates and equals that in a volume of ordinary size, about five by seven inches. Recently these small "pocket" editions have been given the nickname "baby manuscripts." In general, the miniature Books of Hours contain only that section of the complete volume which deals with the prayers to be read or recited at the canonical hours; namely, matins, vespers, nocturns, and those for the prime, tierce, sext, nones, and complin. Indulgences were often granted for the faithful reading or recitation of these prayers." (written by Otto Ege) This vellum leaf was created in France. In Angular Gothic Script.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "The provenance of this manuscript is clearly designated as Limoges because of the inclusion of certain parts of the masses proper to this diocese, and because of the presence of the coat of arms and obituary records of the noted de Rupe family of that city. Frequently, without such data, it would be impossible to determine whether a fragment written in this period and country was from Amiens, Dijon, or Limoges. The national book hand had become amazingly uniform. In this manuscript as in many manuscripts of the XVth century there is an increasing tendency to speed and slackness. France was no longer setting the standard for manuscripts. This example shows that they were greatly influenced by contemporary Italian manuscripts." (written by Otto Ege) In Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript was probably made in Italy.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "This text is from a special arrangment of the Psalms. Several Church Fathers made their own groupings for the Scriptures. Of these so-called "chains" the most famous is that of St. Thomas Aquinas. The author of the arrangement represented by this leaf is unknown. The scribe of the XIIth century often came close to achieving perfection. The symmetry of his letters, the unerring accuracy of his practised hand, and his ideals for letter forms have rarely been equaled and have never been surpassed. The words which were inserted in the margin are not corrections but were added as guides to the content of the page." (written by Otto F. Ege). Caroline Minuscule. Probably from France
Vellum leaf from the set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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Show moreCaption "The Book of Hours, the prayer book of laity, usually contains 16 sections. The section on prayers to the Virgin is the most important and most used, and its manuscripts exceed in number all other XVth century religious texts. The laymen who ordered and purchased these books would at times stipulate the style of ornament and the amount of burnished gold to be used, and could even, to a certain extent, select the saints they esteemed most and wished to glorify. In this example, the border reveals by its wayside flowers entangled with the heavy acanthus motif of the North and by the use of "wash" gold that it was executed in Northern France about 1475 A.D." (written by Otto Ege) In Gothic Script. This manuscript was probably from Northern France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege
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Show moreCaption "These miniature or portable manuscript copies of the Jerome version of the Bible were nearly all written by the young wandering friars of the newly founded order of Dominicans. With almost superhuman skill and patience, and without the aid of eyeglasses, an amazing number of these small Bibles were produced by writing with quills on uterine vellum or rabbit skins. No plausible reason has yet been advanced for such large scale production. They were used sparingly, as is evidenced by their still fine condition. Few people could afford to buy these volumes, which took the equivalent of two years' time to transcribe. Still fewer laymen could read or would dare to risk excommunication by the church. Pope Innocent III, some years earlier, had issued an edict forbidding the reading or even the touching of a Bible by persons not belonging to the clergy. The precision and beauty of the text letters and initials executed in so small a scale, twelve lines to an inch, with letters less than one-sixteenth of an inch high, are among the wonders in book history." (written by Otto F. Ege) In Latin Text; Minuscule Angular Gothic Script. This manuscript is probably from France.
Vellum leaf from set number 37 of the collection of: Fifty Original Leaves From Medieval Manuscripts, Western Europe, XII-XVI Century, compiled by Otto F. Ege.
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