Marginalia shows the modern reader that medieval life was just as complex as ours. Illustrating the margins of medieval manuscripts provided much more than a break from lethargy for the artisans, it brought levity. Doodling and writing notes in margins will never go out of favour as people add their own sketches and comments to texts. The inclusion of marginalia on musical scores continued longer as modern music printing as we know it came about much later. Sadly, upon the arrival of movable type, marginalia in medieval manuscripts diminished. All the images in this post are from Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis (Book of Hours) and you can access digitised medieval manuscripts on the Special Collections catalogue. See more ideas about medieval, illustration, medieval art. Plenty of illustrations give us an insight and clues into everyday medieval life. Explore Luke Mullens board 'Medieval Illustration', followed by 411 people on Pinterest. The most striking are nuns and monks behaving curiously, anthropomorphic animals, dragons and snails. There were recurring themes and imagery in the margins. These peasants, servants, prostitutes and beggars all found. It is the luxurious versions that hold the most elaborate illustrations. Medieval image-makers focused attention on the underside of society, the excluded and the ejected. The books ranged from the modest through to lavishly illuminated tomes purchased by the wealthy and aristocratic classes. The Book of Hours was the most common genre commissioned by clients. Image credit Leeds University Library.Īlthough traditionally, reading and writing were the concerns of the church, by the late Middle Ages there was an increased desire among the laity to express devotion privately. Clothed beasts from BC MS 1/55 and BC MS 1/63. This allowed the artists to scatter it with irreverent depictions. It was common for the illustrations to be added after the text was written. Weird and wonderful mythical beasts, hybrid monsters, animals behaving like humans and humour related to bodily functions were all fair game. Scribes had much more artistic licence in the margins and their imaginations often roamed free. Illuminations are illustrations which are made using gold or silver. However the margins around the text reveal a world of surreal delight where comic life flourished. An illuminated manuscript is the most expensive and ornate type of decorated manuscript. It is true that the main illustrations accompanying the text are of saints and angels, the crucifixion and scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible. The prevailing view of medieval illuminated manuscripts is that they contain purely sacred imagery. Riza Hussaini, our Digitisation Assistant, uncovers some magical marginalia in our medieval manuscripts.
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