From the fifth to the fifteenth century, there was the Medieval Period. It started after the fall of the Roman Empire and continued through the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. Books were handwritten and decorated during this time era; manuscripts were highly prized items. (""The Medieval Bestiary""). The name is derived from the Latin words scriptus (script) and manus (hand). (to write).
Manuscripts from the Middle Ages were to be made of parchment. Calf, sheep, or goat hide served as the parchment in this instance. Velum, a higher-grade animal hide made of lambskin, was also used. (""Making Manuscripts"").
Books on parchment are embellished with illuminations, which are vibrantly colored images. These occur in the form of miniatures, ornamental letters, and designs. It comes from the Latin word ‘illuminare,’ which means to ‘light up.’
What was used to color the illuminations?
On medieval manuscripts, there occurred incorporation of precious metals like gold or silver onto the page like in the Virgin Mary paintings manuscripts, ("Virgin Mary In Medieval Manuscripts"). Other pigments used included earth like dirt and clay, manufactured like lamp black and organic pigments which were mainly plant-based like vegetable dye.
Who made manuscripts?
Monks made illuminated manuscripts. The reason for this was that monasteries were centers of learning. In here, worship books produced. Additionally, rulers and church officials of rank commissioned books, (Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters). These included historical and Greek and Roman literature.
What is a scriptorium?
The word ‘scriptorium' has Latin origins. It means a ‘place for writing.' It, therefore, was a place where the painting of books – illumination and copying was done.
Works Cited
"Making Manuscripts." Youtube, 2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDHJu9J10o..
"The Medieval Bestiary." Bestiary.Ca, 2011, http://bestiary.ca/.
"Virgin Mary In Medieval Manuscripts." Google.Com, 2017, https://www.google.com/search?q=virgin+mary+in+medieval+manuscripts&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL7aPdjN_XAhVJ7YMKHVNfCngQsAQIJw&biw=1366&bih=632.
Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. "The Art Of The Book In The Middle Ages | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline Of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum Of Art." The Met’S Heilbrunn Timeline Of Art History, 2001, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/book/hd_book.htm#/thumbnails.
