An illuminated manuscript is a script in which the text is fitted with ornaments such as initials, marginals and miniature illustrations. In its strictest definition, the term refers only to manuscripts emblazoned with gold or silver; but in both general use and modern knowledge, the term refers to manuscripts decorated or illustrated from Western traditions. Comparable Far Eastern and Mesoamerican works are described as painted. Islamic texts can be referred to as illuminated, illustrated or painted, although they basically use the same techniques as Western works. This article covers the technical, social, and economic history of the subject; for art-history accounts, see miniatures.
The first surviving substantive enlightened manuscripts date from the period 400 to 600, produced in the Kingdom of Ostrogoth and the Eastern Roman Empire. The significance of these works lies not only in their inherent artistic and historical value, but also in the maintenance of the literacy links offered by unlighted texts. Were it not for monastic scholars of the monastic Antiquity, most Greek and Roman literature would have been lost in Europe. Therefore, the textual family patterns are shaped by their use for a group of very literate Christians. Illumination of manuscripts, as a way of glorifying ancient documents, aided their preservation and informative value in an era when the new ruling class was no longer literate, at least in the language used in the manuscript.
The majority of surviving texts date from the Middle Ages, though many survive from the Renaissance, along with a very limited number of Late Antiquity. The majority of these manuscripts are religious. However, especially since the 13th century and beyond, more and more secular text is illuminated. Most illuminated manuscripts are created as codices, which have replaced the scrolls. A small fragment of illuminated manuscripts survive on papyrus, which does not last long along vellum or parchment. Most medieval manuscripts, irradiated or not, are written on parchment (most common of calves, sheep, or goatskin), but most of the important enough manuscripts to be illuminated are written on the best parchment quality, called vellum.
Beginning in the late Middle Ages, manuscripts began to be produced on paper. Very early printed books are sometimes produced with spaces left over for rubrics and miniatures, or given illuminated initials, or decorations on the margins, but rapid printing recognition leads to reduced illumination. The illuminated texts continued to be produced in the early 16th century, but in much smaller numbers, mostly for the very rich. The manuscript was one of the most common survival items of the Middle Ages; thousands of people survive. They are also the best surviving specimens of medieval paintings, and are best preserved. Indeed, for many areas and periods of time, they are the only surviving example of the painting.
Video Illuminated manuscript
History
Art historians classify illuminated texts into their periods and types of history, including (but not limited to) the Final Antic, Insular, Carolingian, Ottonian manuscripts, Romanesque manuscripts, Gothic manuscripts, and Renaissance manuscripts. There are some examples from the next period. The type of book that is most often illuminated very thickly, sometimes known as a "display book", varies between periods. In the first millennium, this is most likely the Gospel Books, such as the Gospel of Lindisfarne and the Book of Kells. The Romanesque period sees the creation of many bright, full Bible - one in Sweden requires three librarians to pick it up. Many of the Psalms were also strongly illuminated in both these periods and Gothic. Single cards or posters of vellum, leather or paper are in a wider circulation with short stories or legends about the lives of saints, knight knights or other mythological figures, even criminal, social or miraculous events; popular events that are widely used freely by storytellers and mobile actors to support their games. Finally, the Book of Hours, a very common personal reflection book of a wealthy layman, is often highly illuminated in the Gothic period. Other books, both liturgical and not, continue to be illuminated at all periods. The Byzantine world also continues to produce the manuscript in its own style, whose version spreads to the Orthodox and other Eastern Christians. See Medieval art for regions, periods and other types. Reusing the parchment by scraping the surface and reusing it is a common practice; The traces that are often left behind in the original text are known as palimpsests.
The Muslim world and especially the Iberian Peninsula, with their uninterrupted tradition of literacy, were instrumental in giving ancient classical works to the growing intellectual circle and Western European universities throughout the twelfth century, when books were produced there in large quantities and on paper for the first time in Europe, and with them a full treatise on science, especially astrology and medicine where lighting is necessary to have an abundant and accurate representation with the text.
The Gothic period, which generally saw an increase in the production of these beautiful artifacts, also sees more secular works such as chronicles and illuminated literary works. The rich start building private libraries; Philip the Bold probably had the largest private library of its time in the mid-fifteenth century, estimated to have around 600 illuminated manuscripts, while some friends and relations have several dozen.
Until the 12th century, most manuscripts were produced in monasteries to be added to the library or after receiving a commission from a wealthy patron. Larger monasteries often contain separate areas for monks specializing in the production of scripts called the scriptorium. Within the walls of a scriptorium there are individual areas where a monk can sit and work a manuscript without being distracted by his other brothers. If no scripts are available, separate "separate rooms are assigned to copy books, they are placed in such a way that every scribe must open a window to open the road." The separation of these monks from the rest of the monastery shows how honored these monks are in their society.
In the fourteenth century, monks' monks who wrote in the scriptorium were almost entirely given to commercial urban scripts, especially in Paris, Rome, and the Netherlands. While the illuminated manuscript making process does not change, the move from convent to commercial setting is a radical step. Demand for manuscripts grew to the point that Monastic's libraries were unable to meet demand, and began using secular scribes and illuminators. These people often live close to the monastery and, in certain cases, dress like monks every time they enter the monastery, but are allowed to leave at the end of the day. In fact, illuminators are often known and recognized and many of their surviving identities.
First, the manuscript is "sent to the rubricator, which adds (in red or other colors) the title, title, initials chapters and sections, notes etc., and then - if the book is to be illustrated - sent to the illuminator." In the case of the manuscript commercially sold, the article "has undoubtedly been discussed initially between patrons and clerks (or scribes agents), but by the time the written collection was sent to the illuminator there is no scope for innovation."
Maps Illuminated manuscript
Technique
Illumination is a complex and often expensive process. It's usually reserved for special books: an altar Bible, for example. The rich often have inspired "clock watches," which organize the appropriate prayers for various times of the liturgical day.
In the early Middle Ages, most of the books were produced in monasteries, either for self-use, for presentations, or for commissions. However, commercial scripts grew in major cities, especially Paris, and in Italy and the Netherlands, and by the end of the 14th century there were significant industrial production manuscripts, including agents that would take long-distance commissions, with the details of buyers' the saint with whom it is concerned (for the calendar of an hourbook). At the end of the period, many painters are women, probably mainly in Paris.
Text
In making illuminated manuscripts, texts are usually written first. A piece of parchment or vellum, animal skin specially prepared for writing, cut to the appropriate size. After the general layout of the page is planned ( for example, initial capital, border), the page is lightly ruled with pointed sticks, and the clerk goes to work with ink pots and either plumed feathers or reed pens.
The manuscript depends on local customs and tastes. The powerful Roman letters of the early Middle Ages gradually gave way to scripts like Uncial and half-uncial, especially in the British Isles, where typical scripts such as small and small majus were developed. Stocky, a highly textured blackletter first seen around the 13th century and was very popular in the Middle Ages. Palaeography is the study of historical handwriting manuscripts, and the study's codices of other physical aspects of manuscript manuscripts.
One of the most important features in illuminated manuscript production is the amount of time spent in the pre-production stage that describes the work. Before such careful planning days, "A typical black-page page of Gothic years will show you the pages where the writing is crowded and overcrowded into a format dominated by capital-decorated big cities derived from form - uncial form or by illustration. " To prevent bad manuscripts and illuminations made from the scripts that occur is usually provided first, "and empty space is left for decoration." This pre-considers careful planning by the scribe even before he puts a pen on the parchment. " If the scribe and illuminator are separate laborers, the planning period allows sufficient space to be provided to each individual.
Illumination process
The following steps describe the detailed labor involved to create a one-page illustration of the manuscript:
- The Silverpoint image of the design is executed
- Glossy gold dots are applied
- Application of modulation colors
- Continuation of the previous three steps in addition to the marginal marginal outline
- The rinceaux shooting that appears on the page border
- Last step, painted edge numbers
Lighting and decorations are usually planned at the beginning of the work, and space is reserved for it. However, the text is usually written before the illumination begins. In the period of the Middle Ages Early texts and illuminations were often performed by the same people, usually monks, but in the Middle Ages The height of his role was usually separated, except for initials and progressed routinely, and at least in the 14th century there was a secular workshop. produced the manuscript, and at the beginning of the 15th century it produced most of the best work, and was commissioned even by monasteries. When the text is finished, the illustrator starts working. The elaborate design was planned earlier, probably on a wax tablet, the sketch pad of that era. The design is then traced or pulled onto the vellum (perhaps with the help of pinpricks or other marks, as in the case of the Lindisfarne Gospel). Many incomplete manuscripts survive most of the period, giving us a good idea of ​​working methods.
Over time, most manuscripts have no pictures in them. In the early Middle Ages, the manuscript tended to be a very complete illumination display book, or manuscript to be studied with at least some of the decorated and developed initials. In the Romanesque period, many manuscripts were decorated or initials, and manuscripts that are essentially to be studied often contain multiple images, often colorless. This trend increases in the Gothic period, when most manuscripts have at least decorative decorations in places, and a much larger proportion has similar images. Books of displays from the Gothic era in particular have borders of very complicated foliate patterns, often with small drolleri. Gothic pages may contain several areas and types of decorations: miniature in frame, historiated beginning that initiates a text section, and borders with drolleries. Often different artists work in different parts of the decor.
Use of colors in illuminated manuscripts
While the use of gold so far is one of the most captivating features of illuminated manuscripts, the use of bold colors gives various dimensional layers to the illumination. From a religious point of view, "the various colors with this book are illustrated, not inappropriately representing the many gifts of heavenly wisdom." While religious writers see themselves as part of God's extensive glory in work, many illustrations can be attributed to "the history of the texts needed to be illustrated and the needs and tastes of the readers of the manuscripts." Color brings images on the page to life and captivates the reader. Without color, the impact of the image will be completely lost.
Paints
The medieval artist's palette was spacious; part of the pigment list is given below. In addition, substances that do not sound like urine and earwax are used to prepare the pigment.
An illuminated manuscript is not considered illuminated unless one or more illuminations contain gold paper or brushed with gold spots, a process known as obscure . The inclusion of gold in the illumination alludes to many different possibilities for the text. If the text is religious, gold is a sign of elevating the text. In the early centuries of Christianity, "Gospel texts are sometimes written entirely with gold." In addition to adding striking decorations to the text, the scribes at the time considered themselves to be praising God by using gold. In one particular instance, "The life of Christ is executed with a golden background with far greater wealth amidst countless chase scenes, games, games and countless things." Furthermore, gold is used if a patron who has commissioned a book to be written wants to display the breadth of his wealth. Finally, the addition of gold to the manuscript becomes so frequent, "that its value as a status barometer with the manuscript decreases." During this time period the price of gold has become so cheap that inclusion in illuminated manuscripts accounts for only one-tenth of the cost of production. By adding richness and depth to the manuscript, the use of gold in illuminations creates still-appreciated artwork today.
The application of gold leaf or dust to illumination is a very detailed process that can only be performed by the most skilled and accomplished illuminators. The first detail of the illuminator to be considered when dealing with gold is whether to use gold leaf or gold spots that can be applied with a brush. When working with gold leaf, the pieces will be hammered and diluted until they are "thinner than thin paper." The use of this type of leaves allows for many text areas outlined in gold. There are several ways to apply gold to one of the most popular lighting including mixing gold with glue deer and then "pour it into water and dissolve it with your finger." Once the gold is soft and soft in the water it is ready to apply to the page. Illuminators should be very careful when applying gold leaf to the script for fear of damaging the color already placed in the illumination. Gold leaf is able to "stick to any pigments that have been laid, damage the design, and both actions are very strong polish and risky coat any painting around it." The indiscriminate application of gold can damage the workforce already placed in the illumination and thereby cause the entire folio to be discarded.
Lighting protection
The monasteries produce manuscripts for their own use; which are highly illuminated tend to be reserved for the use of the liturgy in the early period, while the monastery library stores more plain text. In the early period, texts were often commissioned by rulers for their personal use or as diplomatic rewards, and many old manuscripts continued to be given in this way, even to the Early Modern period. Especially after hours of books became popular, rich people commissioned work as a mark of status within the community, sometimes including a donor portrait or symbol: "In a scene from the New Testament, Christ will be displayed larger than the apostle, which will become more big than the observer in the picture, while the simple donor from the painting or the artist himself may appear as a small figure in the corner. "The calendar is also personalized, recording the party days of local saints or families. At the end of the Middle Ages many manuscripts were produced for distribution through agency networks, and blank spaces may be reserved for appropriate symbols to be added locally by buyers.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments