Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms (Looking At...)

by Michelle P. Brown
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Editorial Reviews

What is a florilegium? What is an incipit? What is batarde script? This book--part of the Museum's popular Looking at series--offers definitions of these and numerous other techniques, processes, and materials used in medieval illuminated manuscripts. Concise and readable explanations of the technical terms most frequently encountered by the museum-goer are presented in an easily portable format. With numerous illustrations, many of them in color, this volume will be invaluable to all readers wishing to increase their understanding and enjoyment of illuminated manuscripts.

Customer Reviews

Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms , 2007-09-07
by M4 (Gulf Breeze, Florida USA)
Explains in lay terms the processes used in illuminated medieval manuscripts. Still a bit complicated, but a good resource.
A glorious elucidation of the handwritten book, 2007-01-09
by Thomas O. Mccurdy (the Olympic Peninsula , Washington State, U.S.A.)
This publication using a lexiconary form lavishly displays an art form too long ignored. Extraordinary effort and expense has created a book that shows and explains the accomplishments of a lost art. Any bibliophile, any artist will devour this book.
Outstanding resource for anyone!, 2006-04-26
by Susan K. Beal (Temple, TX USA)
I used this book and the Christopher De Hamel book while I was taking a graduate course on Illuminated Manuscripts. The information was indispensable for the entirety of the course, but it also helped me in future courses I took. It is wonderful to find an academic book that is fun to read! I would heartily recommend it to anyone, and especially to students who are studying manuscripts or merely the art history of the period! It is a most worthwhile investment!
A Bible for beginning codicologers, 2001-03-15 (Palo Alto, CA United States)
This slim volume by Michelle Brown is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in the study of books and manuscripts (codicology). In a succinct dictionary format, Brown gives definitions of all of the major terms that may give trouble to someone visiting a museum or reading a work by such major writers in the field as Chris DeHamel. Suitable as both a textbook and a companion to books on manuscripts, this book is nearly indispensible to the beginner and the intermediate in allowing some understanding into the complex technical and art-historical vocabulary used in the field.
A great little dictionary of illumination., 2000-07-14
by Mark Howells (Puyallup, Washington State, USA)
This little volume provides brief definitions of all the important phrases and terms used in the study of illuminated manuscripts including forms, techniques, themes, and periods.

Great for understanding the differences between an historiated initial and an inhabited initial - or between an antiphonal and a gradual.

Most of the representative images are in color and are well chosen to illustrate the definitions. Perhaps their only drawback is their small size due to the size limitations of the book itself.

A great companion while reading to "Medieval Illuminators & their Methods of Work" by Jonathan J.G. ALexander or "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts" by Christopher De Hamel.