Oh my! Look at this: The Cambridge Illuminations: Ten Centuries of Book Production in the Medieval West.
The Cambridge Illuminations is a spectacular two-venue exhibition of over 200 world-class illuminated manuscripts - many on public view for the first time - dating from the sixth to the sixteenth centuries and drawn from the collections of The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University Library and many of the Cambridge colleges. Sacred and secular, scientific and humanistic, historical and literary, the range of manuscripts on display showcases the work of some of the greatest medieval and Renaissance illuminators and includes commissions by the most celebrated patrons of learning and art, including the Kings of France and England, the Dukes of Burgundy and the Medici. [continue]
If you happen to be in England, you should rush off and visit this exhibition. For the rest of us, there's a very fine virtual exhibition. There's lots and lots to explore - here, these themes will give you an idea of what's available:
The Coming of Christianity: Pagans and Missionaries
The Bible and Its study: from the Cloisters to the University
The Liturgy and the Offices
Private Devotion: Humility and Splendour
History and Literature: Sacred and Secular
The Medieval Encyclopaedia: Science and Practice
The Humanistic Book
Manuscripts and Documents for Cambridge University
One can also explore the collection by browsing through the makers and patrons sections. Don't miss the Making art: Medieval manuscripts page, where you can view a flash animation showing how a medieval manuscript was made.
Posted on July 26, 2005 11:55 AM. Filed under: books & lit.