History Lesson

First things first; in order to know where we’re going, we must first see where we have been. So here’s a little history on this ancient art form:

Before the invention of the printing press, all books were copied by hand. The term ‘illuminated manuscript’ traditionally refers to hand-written and decorated books produced in Europe between the 6th century and the 15th century. The manuscript pages were decorated, or ‘illuminated’, using gold and sometimes silver. Often illustrations were added using paints made from natural pigments.

Unlike books today, these manuscripts were not traditionally made from paper but from parchment. Paper was a Chinese invention and did not become a common material for use in books until roughly the 13th to 15th centuries. Parchment was made from animal skins, with calf skin, called vellum, being used often.

The whole process of producing an illuminated manuscript was costly and time consuming. From the expensive and lengthy task of making quality parchment, to sourcing the rare stones and plants needed to make inks and paints, on to the arduous task of copying the text itself, it could take many years, if not decades, to produce one of these masterful works. The traditional image of monks toiling away over these texts in their monasteries is even recorded in some manuscripts. Those who specialized in copying or writing texts were called scribes. Most of the illuminated manuscripts were made for the church or royalty, and were usually copies of the Bible or other sacred texts. In later centuries, more secular subjects and histories were recorded as well.

With the invention of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press in the 1400’s, illuminated manuscripts became a thing of the past. These unique works are still treasured and can be found today in museums and libraries around the world.