The first creators of illuminated manuscripts were Christian monks in the medieval period. The Latin source words of the term suggest their function and facture: ‘illuminare’, to light up or illuminate, ‘manus’, hand, and ‘scriptus’, writing.
Discover More
This section contains more detailed and diverse information that provides a broader context for the individual items in this exhibition.
Included here are an interactive Glossary of technical terms relating to medieval illuminated manuscript cuttings, and Essays and short Videos by the student curators on key topics.
All
- All
- Videos
- Essays
- Glossary & Index
Essay: Books of Hours Explained
Books of Hours have been described as medieval bestsellers, precious family heirlooms and devotional objects, but what exactly are they? In our exhibition ‘Fragments of Devotion’, many of the images featured are taken from this type of manuscript.
Essay: Animals and Creatures in Medieval Manuscript Marginalia
Medieval manuscript marginalia have long fascinated scholars and the wider public alike. Far from being just decoration, these marginal illustrations offer critical insight into medieval thought, visual culture, and symbolic imagination.
Essay: A Fragmented History: Nineteenth-Century Manuscript Cuttings
The Victorian era witnessed a dramatic shift in the treatment of medieval manuscripts; from adoration to alterations. Medieval manuscripts were seen as curiosities to be cut up and became dismembered as a result.
Video: Margins of Meaning: Whimsy and Wonder in Medieval Manuscripts
Have you ever noticed the weird and whimsical figures and decorations around the edges of medieval manuscript pages and wondered why they are there?
Video: Manuscript Cuttings: Devotion through the Ages
Manuscripts remained intact for centuries; they endured wars, the Reformation and being passed down through generations – only to meet their match at the hands of the Victorians. Why did the 19th century’s greatest art-lovers become history’s most notorious biblioclasts? Let’s uncover the truth…
