'Illuminated Manuscript'
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript which includes ornamental borders, capitals, and illustrations. As a general rule, illuminated manuscripts are hand-written, and all of the illuminations are done by hand as well. With the advent of the printing press, the art of creating illuminated manuscripts largely disappeared, since these ornate and beautiful volumes were expensive and time consuming to produce when compared with printed material.
Differences Between Romanesque and Gothic Manuscripts
~ Gothic figures are more animated, and had much more depth while with Romanesque manuscripts the figures are flat and more distorted, the feet are turned to the side, but the body is flat, similar to Egyptian heiroglyphs.
~ Gothic manuscripts have a realistic background while Romanesque have flat surfaces for backgrounds.
~ The people in Gothic are stacked up and overlapping with more perspective while the figures in Romanesque are majorly not overlapping and hence giving less depth.
Writing Surfaces and Instruments
Parchment or Vellum was used as the writing surface during medieval times for the manuscripts and a reed or feather pen was used to write the manuscripts.
They used an ink derived either from carbon soot or gall nuts. In one
method, carbon soot from beeswax candles or linseed oil lamps was combined with
gum arabic to produce an indelible black ink. In the other, gall nuts, the
swollen nodules produced by certain insects living in oak trees, was mixed with
iron salts, making an ink which eventually turned brown from exposure to the
atmosphere. While the main body to the text was usually written in black or
brown ink, colored lines of writing, called rubrics (from the Latin rubrica meaning
red), were most often, but not always, written in red. Scribes or calligraphers and later illuminators produced the
illuminated manuscripts. Monks often produced them in Medieval times
working in the scriptorium, or writing room where books were made.
The Clients and Purpose
Illuminated manuscripts were in two categories, religious and secular. In the early Middle Ages, lavish biblical manuscripts, called treasure books, were richly illuminated in order to praise God, since they contained God's word. In the latter Middle Ages, deluxe personal prayer books, called Books of Hours, were the expressions of wealth and social status, like expensive jewelry and fine clothing. Secular manuscripts, books of literature, on various topics such as hunting and politics, exist in far fewer numbers than religious books, and consequently are often much more expensive. Hence these manuscripts were often for people of high-class or who had the money to afford such pleasures.
Connection Between Timbuktu Manuscripts and Manuscripts of Medieval Europe
Like Latin was used for European medieval manuscripts, Arabic was the "African Latin" and was used in the Timbuktu manuscripts. Until the sixteenth century, Timbuktu was a flourishing city that attracted Islamic scholars and students for instruction at the Sankore mosque, an institution often compared to medieval European universities. But the importance of Timbuktu declined as a result of various local and international factors, including a shift in trade patterns between West Africa and Europe. These manuscripts influenced the manuscripts in Europe when they were carried over or traded.
Medieval Graphic Arts Landmarks
Lindisfarne Gospel
This legacy of an artist monk living in Northumbria in the early eighth century is a precious testament to the tenacity of Christian belief during one of the most turbulent periods of British history. Costly in time and materials, superb in design, the manuscript is among our greatest artistic and religious treasures. It was made and used at Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island, a major religious community that housed the shrine of St Cuthbert, who died in 687.
Medieval manuscripts were usually produced by a team of scribes and illustrators. However, the entire Lindisfarne Gospels is the work of one man, giving it a particularly coherent sense of design. According to a note added at the end of the manuscript less than a century after its making, that artist was a monk called Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne between 698 and 721.
Apart from its intrinsic value as a remarkable survival of an ancient and astonishingly beautiful work of art, the manuscript displays a unique combination of artistic styles that reflects a crucial period in England's history.
The Lindisfarne Gospels, and others like it, helped define the growing sense of 'Englishness' - a spirit of consolidated by the Venerable Bede, the historian monk, in his 'History of the English Church and People', completed in 731.
This legacy of an artist monk living in Northumbria in the early eighth century is a precious testament to the tenacity of Christian belief during one of the most turbulent periods of British history. Costly in time and materials, superb in design, the manuscript is among our greatest artistic and religious treasures. It was made and used at Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island, a major religious community that housed the shrine of St Cuthbert, who died in 687.
Medieval manuscripts were usually produced by a team of scribes and illustrators. However, the entire Lindisfarne Gospels is the work of one man, giving it a particularly coherent sense of design. According to a note added at the end of the manuscript less than a century after its making, that artist was a monk called Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne between 698 and 721.
Apart from its intrinsic value as a remarkable survival of an ancient and astonishingly beautiful work of art, the manuscript displays a unique combination of artistic styles that reflects a crucial period in England's history.
The Lindisfarne Gospels, and others like it, helped define the growing sense of 'Englishness' - a spirit of consolidated by the Venerable Bede, the historian monk, in his 'History of the English Church and People', completed in 731.
The Book of Kells.
The Book of Kells is celebrated for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule".
The place of origin of the Book of Kells is generally attributed to the scriptorium of the monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath. It was stolen in the 11th century, at which time its cover was torn off and it was thrown into a ditch. The cover, which most likely included gold and gems, has never been found, and the book suffered some water damage; but otherwise it is extraordinarily well-preserved.
In 1541, at the height of the English Reformation, the book was taken by the Roman Catholic Church for safekeeping. It was returned to Ireland in the 17th century, and Archbishop James Ussher gave it to Trinity College, Dublin, where it resides today. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location.
680 individual pages (340 folios) have survived, and of them only two lack any form of artistic ornamentation. In addition to incidental character illuminations, there are entire pages that are primarily decoration, including portrait pages, "carpet" pages and partially decorated pages with only a line or so of text.
As many as ten different colors were used in the illuminations, some of them rare and expensive dyes that had to be imported from the continent. The workmanship is so fine that some of the details can only be clearly seen with a magnifying glass.
The Book of Kells is celebrated for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule".
The place of origin of the Book of Kells is generally attributed to the scriptorium of the monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath. It was stolen in the 11th century, at which time its cover was torn off and it was thrown into a ditch. The cover, which most likely included gold and gems, has never been found, and the book suffered some water damage; but otherwise it is extraordinarily well-preserved.
In 1541, at the height of the English Reformation, the book was taken by the Roman Catholic Church for safekeeping. It was returned to Ireland in the 17th century, and Archbishop James Ussher gave it to Trinity College, Dublin, where it resides today. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location.
680 individual pages (340 folios) have survived, and of them only two lack any form of artistic ornamentation. In addition to incidental character illuminations, there are entire pages that are primarily decoration, including portrait pages, "carpet" pages and partially decorated pages with only a line or so of text.
As many as ten different colors were used in the illuminations, some of them rare and expensive dyes that had to be imported from the continent. The workmanship is so fine that some of the details can only be clearly seen with a magnifying glass.
The Toledo Bible
The Bible of St Louis of Toledo Cathedral is a truly outstanding item within the rich heritage of Toledo Cathedral. This Bible moralisée written in Latin is so extraordinarily beautiful that it is also known as the "Rich Bible of Toledo".
The earliest references to this work date back to the codicil and testament of Alfonso X the Wise, king of Castile, which describe it as being a "historiated Bible in three books given to us by the king of France" and "one of the most noble items belonging to the king". The Bible of St Louis to which Alfonso X the Wise refers is in all likelihood the one housed in Toledo Cathedral. The studies made of the different aspects of this Bible together with the analysis of its contents enable the date of its composition and the period in which it was copied and illuminated to be determined very approximately. These tasks were completed between 1226 and 1234. This vast, highly accurate and meticulous work required the patient dedication of many experts in the widest possible fields covered by theologians, copyists and illuminators.
This codex was produced for kings for educational and informative purposes, and also as a pedagogical tool in the education of the future king of France. Over the last eight centuries the Chapter of Toledo Cathedral has dedicated the utmost care to conserving and housing this bibliographic gem which can be described in its own merit as unique and which draws gasps of admiration from everyone who has the chance to see it.The Bible of St Louis is one of a small group of Bibles copied in the 13th century for members of the French royalty belonging to the Capetian dynasty ruling at that time. It is a peculiar type of biblical book without precedents in the tradition of European scriptoria, and is lavishly illuminated in keeping with the rank of its owners.
These bibles were usually known by the more modern name of Bibles moralisées and were few in number, as mentioned earlier, due to the high cost of producing them. The most obvious feature of these books is their incredible lavishness and splendour. Their external appearance is so exceptional that one immediately realises that their owners could only be the most high-ranking persons in medieval society. This was indeed the case: these Bibles were made for the use of kings alone.
The Bible of St Louis of Toledo Cathedral is a truly outstanding item within the rich heritage of Toledo Cathedral. This Bible moralisée written in Latin is so extraordinarily beautiful that it is also known as the "Rich Bible of Toledo".
The earliest references to this work date back to the codicil and testament of Alfonso X the Wise, king of Castile, which describe it as being a "historiated Bible in three books given to us by the king of France" and "one of the most noble items belonging to the king". The Bible of St Louis to which Alfonso X the Wise refers is in all likelihood the one housed in Toledo Cathedral. The studies made of the different aspects of this Bible together with the analysis of its contents enable the date of its composition and the period in which it was copied and illuminated to be determined very approximately. These tasks were completed between 1226 and 1234. This vast, highly accurate and meticulous work required the patient dedication of many experts in the widest possible fields covered by theologians, copyists and illuminators.
This codex was produced for kings for educational and informative purposes, and also as a pedagogical tool in the education of the future king of France. Over the last eight centuries the Chapter of Toledo Cathedral has dedicated the utmost care to conserving and housing this bibliographic gem which can be described in its own merit as unique and which draws gasps of admiration from everyone who has the chance to see it.The Bible of St Louis is one of a small group of Bibles copied in the 13th century for members of the French royalty belonging to the Capetian dynasty ruling at that time. It is a peculiar type of biblical book without precedents in the tradition of European scriptoria, and is lavishly illuminated in keeping with the rank of its owners.
These bibles were usually known by the more modern name of Bibles moralisées and were few in number, as mentioned earlier, due to the high cost of producing them. The most obvious feature of these books is their incredible lavishness and splendour. Their external appearance is so exceptional that one immediately realises that their owners could only be the most high-ranking persons in medieval society. This was indeed the case: these Bibles were made for the use of kings alone.
Books of Hours
Books of hours are often characterized as the “bestseller” of the Middle Ages. As a genre, they certainly enjoyed enormous, even unprecedented popularity, becoming the prayer book of the laity, monarchs and merchants, lords and ladies, alike. Its popularity, however, was restricted to certain parts of Europe: primarily France, England and the Netherlands. Elsewhere in Europe, for example, in German-speaking lands, Central Europe and even Italy and Spain, where other types of prayer books retained their dominance, it remained relatively rare.
Not all books of hours were illustrated, but they are best known today for their decoration, which can range from the routine in examples mass-produced for the commercial market to the spectacular, as in such famous examples as the Très Riches Heures of Jean, duc de Berry, one of the most famous manuscripts of the entire Middle Ages. The sheer number of books of hours that survive make them an indispensable source not only for the study of late medieval piety and prayer, but also for the history of late medieval art.
Books of hours provide a fairly continuous, dense record of well-preserved medieval painting in numerous locales and centers where most monumental painting, whether murals, stained glass, or panel painting, has been lost. They are also the site of tremendous iconographic inventiveness, with most manuscripts displaying at least some idiosyncratic features that set them apart and open them to interpretation and analysis.
Books of hours are often characterized as the “bestseller” of the Middle Ages. As a genre, they certainly enjoyed enormous, even unprecedented popularity, becoming the prayer book of the laity, monarchs and merchants, lords and ladies, alike. Its popularity, however, was restricted to certain parts of Europe: primarily France, England and the Netherlands. Elsewhere in Europe, for example, in German-speaking lands, Central Europe and even Italy and Spain, where other types of prayer books retained their dominance, it remained relatively rare.
Not all books of hours were illustrated, but they are best known today for their decoration, which can range from the routine in examples mass-produced for the commercial market to the spectacular, as in such famous examples as the Très Riches Heures of Jean, duc de Berry, one of the most famous manuscripts of the entire Middle Ages. The sheer number of books of hours that survive make them an indispensable source not only for the study of late medieval piety and prayer, but also for the history of late medieval art.
Books of hours provide a fairly continuous, dense record of well-preserved medieval painting in numerous locales and centers where most monumental painting, whether murals, stained glass, or panel painting, has been lost. They are also the site of tremendous iconographic inventiveness, with most manuscripts displaying at least some idiosyncratic features that set them apart and open them to interpretation and analysis.
The Klosterneuburg Altar
Verdun Altar, an important work of Romanesque enamel art (sunk enamel) on gilded copperplates, made in 1181 by order of provost Wernher of Klosterneuburg by the Lorraine enamel artist and goldsmith Nikolaus von Verdun (b. before 1150 Verdun, d. after 1205) as paneling for a pulpit parapet; after fire damage (1330), the 51 enamel panels were reassembled in 1331 to form a wing altar in three parts for the provost Stephans von Sierndorf, and 6 panels were restored in the style of the 12th century. At the same time 4 panel paintings by the artist were added to the rear sides of the Verdun altar; these are the oldest specimens of panel painting in Central Europe; the extensive inscriptions on the frame provide information on how the enamel panels were made and completed and what they depict: pictures from the Old and the New Testament representing the entire history of the Salvation. Today the Verdun Altar is displayed in the St. Leopold chapel (former chapter house) of Klosterneuburg Abbey and serves as an altar at the grave of Margrave Leopold III, while the panels of the rear side of the altar are exhibited in the abbey museum.
Verdun Altar, an important work of Romanesque enamel art (sunk enamel) on gilded copperplates, made in 1181 by order of provost Wernher of Klosterneuburg by the Lorraine enamel artist and goldsmith Nikolaus von Verdun (b. before 1150 Verdun, d. after 1205) as paneling for a pulpit parapet; after fire damage (1330), the 51 enamel panels were reassembled in 1331 to form a wing altar in three parts for the provost Stephans von Sierndorf, and 6 panels were restored in the style of the 12th century. At the same time 4 panel paintings by the artist were added to the rear sides of the Verdun altar; these are the oldest specimens of panel painting in Central Europe; the extensive inscriptions on the frame provide information on how the enamel panels were made and completed and what they depict: pictures from the Old and the New Testament representing the entire history of the Salvation. Today the Verdun Altar is displayed in the St. Leopold chapel (former chapter house) of Klosterneuburg Abbey and serves as an altar at the grave of Margrave Leopold III, while the panels of the rear side of the altar are exhibited in the abbey museum.
The Unicorn in Captivity (Tapestry)
The seven individual hangings known as "The Unicorn Tapestries," are among the most beautiful and complex works of art from the late Middle Ages that survive. Luxuriously woven in fine wool and silk with silver and gilded threads, the tapestries vividly depict scenes associated with a hunt for the elusive, magical unicorn. The style of the tapestry is known as mille-fleurs. Translated to mean "thousand flowers," the technique involves embroidering numerous flowers and plants in the background. "The Unicorn in Captivity" may have been created as a single image rather than part of a series of seven. It is estimated that 15,000 people were involved in weaving the series.
The seven individual hangings known as "The Unicorn Tapestries," are among the most beautiful and complex works of art from the late Middle Ages that survive. Luxuriously woven in fine wool and silk with silver and gilded threads, the tapestries vividly depict scenes associated with a hunt for the elusive, magical unicorn. The style of the tapestry is known as mille-fleurs. Translated to mean "thousand flowers," the technique involves embroidering numerous flowers and plants in the background. "The Unicorn in Captivity" may have been created as a single image rather than part of a series of seven. It is estimated that 15,000 people were involved in weaving the series.
The Book of Durrow
The Book of Durrow, which derives its name from the Irish Columban monastery of Durrow, County Offaly, is an early medieval Gospel book decorated with carpet pages and framed symbols of the Evangelists. It was long considered the earliest surviving fully decorated insular Gospel book, and thought to date from the mid-seventh century, yet it was executed with such a degree of sophistication that recent scholars argue for a date more coexistent with the Book of Kells. Thus, its date is uncertain and controversial. It may or may not have been made at the Abbey of Durrow, but we know it resided there from about 900, when the High King of Ireland, Flinn Sanna, had a shrine made for it. It was later privately held until it was donated to the Trinity College Library (along with the Book of Kells) in the late 1600s.
The Book of Durrow and the Book of Kells are often linked—they are similar in content and style, although the Book of Durrow is simpler and its design work not as fine as the Book of Kells'. It has more open areas on the carpet pages and there are fewer bits of illumination among the lines of text. The depiction of the Evangelist symbols is more stylized and the pigments used are of a limited palette: almost entirely red, yellow and green.
The Book of Durrow contains 6 carpet pages (full pages of abstract design), 4 full-page depictions of each of the symbols of the Evangelists (not the men themselves, as in the Book of Kells or Lindisfarne Gospels) and a separate single page showing all four Evangelist symbols together. The Book of Durrow also contains pages with elaborate illuminated initials, such as the Chi-Ro page.
The Book of Durrow, which derives its name from the Irish Columban monastery of Durrow, County Offaly, is an early medieval Gospel book decorated with carpet pages and framed symbols of the Evangelists. It was long considered the earliest surviving fully decorated insular Gospel book, and thought to date from the mid-seventh century, yet it was executed with such a degree of sophistication that recent scholars argue for a date more coexistent with the Book of Kells. Thus, its date is uncertain and controversial. It may or may not have been made at the Abbey of Durrow, but we know it resided there from about 900, when the High King of Ireland, Flinn Sanna, had a shrine made for it. It was later privately held until it was donated to the Trinity College Library (along with the Book of Kells) in the late 1600s.
The Book of Durrow and the Book of Kells are often linked—they are similar in content and style, although the Book of Durrow is simpler and its design work not as fine as the Book of Kells'. It has more open areas on the carpet pages and there are fewer bits of illumination among the lines of text. The depiction of the Evangelist symbols is more stylized and the pigments used are of a limited palette: almost entirely red, yellow and green.
The Book of Durrow contains 6 carpet pages (full pages of abstract design), 4 full-page depictions of each of the symbols of the Evangelists (not the men themselves, as in the Book of Kells or Lindisfarne Gospels) and a separate single page showing all four Evangelist symbols together. The Book of Durrow also contains pages with elaborate illuminated initials, such as the Chi-Ro page.
Cathedrals of Europe
Exeter Cathedral, Exeter, Devon, England.
Romanesque Main Features
1. Stone was cut with precision.
2. Walls were initially solid but the walls and shell keeps designed in the Romanesque architecture style were hollow and distributed the weight of the stones.
3. The use of the Roman arch led to the stone being supported in the middle by the arch construction.
4. The stone used was extremely heavy. The weight of the ceilings would tend to buckle the walls outward and large piles of stone would be stacked along the wall in intervals to buttress (or support) the walls from pushing outward. These piles of stones became features of Romanesque Architecture and buttresses were introduced to the basic design and a major characteristic of Romanesque architecture.
5. The window openings of Romanesque Architecture castles had to be small to keep the strength of the walls strong. The wheel, or rose window, therefore appeared and became a feature of the Romanesque.
6. The Vault - The most important structural developments and characteristics of Romanesque architecture was the vault. The vault was developed to enable the construction of stone roofs - wooden roofs were an obvious fire hazard. They were two main types of vaults, Barrel vaults and Groin vaults. Barrel or Tunnel Vaults consisted of a continuous surface of semicircular or pointed sections resembling a barrel or tunnel which has been cut in half lengthwise. Groin Vault was produced by the intersection, at right angles of two barrel vaults. The arches of groin vaults were either pointed or round.
1. Stone was cut with precision.
2. Walls were initially solid but the walls and shell keeps designed in the Romanesque architecture style were hollow and distributed the weight of the stones.
3. The use of the Roman arch led to the stone being supported in the middle by the arch construction.
4. The stone used was extremely heavy. The weight of the ceilings would tend to buckle the walls outward and large piles of stone would be stacked along the wall in intervals to buttress (or support) the walls from pushing outward. These piles of stones became features of Romanesque Architecture and buttresses were introduced to the basic design and a major characteristic of Romanesque architecture.
5. The window openings of Romanesque Architecture castles had to be small to keep the strength of the walls strong. The wheel, or rose window, therefore appeared and became a feature of the Romanesque.
6. The Vault - The most important structural developments and characteristics of Romanesque architecture was the vault. The vault was developed to enable the construction of stone roofs - wooden roofs were an obvious fire hazard. They were two main types of vaults, Barrel vaults and Groin vaults. Barrel or Tunnel Vaults consisted of a continuous surface of semicircular or pointed sections resembling a barrel or tunnel which has been cut in half lengthwise. Groin Vault was produced by the intersection, at right angles of two barrel vaults. The arches of groin vaults were either pointed or round.
Basilica of St. Denis, Paris, France.
Early Gothic Main Features
This style of Gothic is a transition from Romanesque to High Gothic and hence had some of the same appearances as Romanesque. A series of four discrete horizontal levels or stories in the cathedral's interior were evolved, beginning with a ground-level arcade, over which ran one or two galleries (tribune, triforium) to support outward thrust from arches, over which in turn ran an upper, windowed story called a clerestory. The columns and arches used to support these different elevations contributed to the severe and powerfully repetitive geometry of the interior. Window tracery (decorative rib-work subdividing a window opening) was also gradually evolved, along with the use of stained (colored) glass in the windows. A lot of empty space was found within cathedral and windows were much smaller than High Gothic and hence the interior was darker.
This style of Gothic is a transition from Romanesque to High Gothic and hence had some of the same appearances as Romanesque. A series of four discrete horizontal levels or stories in the cathedral's interior were evolved, beginning with a ground-level arcade, over which ran one or two galleries (tribune, triforium) to support outward thrust from arches, over which in turn ran an upper, windowed story called a clerestory. The columns and arches used to support these different elevations contributed to the severe and powerfully repetitive geometry of the interior. Window tracery (decorative rib-work subdividing a window opening) was also gradually evolved, along with the use of stained (colored) glass in the windows. A lot of empty space was found within cathedral and windows were much smaller than High Gothic and hence the interior was darker.
Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France.
High Gothic Main Features
The High Gothic style is similar to the earlier Gothic style, but is a more heavier, more substantial version of the style. High Gothic buildings are distinguished by the use of polychrome bands of decorative masonry. Stone quoins, pressed brick, and terra cotta panels were commonly used. Windows and doors were accented with brick or stone trim, often in contrasting colors. The Gothic pointed arch may be present at windows, entrances, and decorative dormers and cross gables. Round turrets with corbelled brickwork and conical roofs are common to this style as well. The towers were extremely emphasized vertically and hence were very tall and were also uneven. Clerestories were very large letting in plenty of light. Not as much empty space was seen inside the cathedrals now. High Gothic was more busy in terms of details to Early Gothic.
The High Gothic style is similar to the earlier Gothic style, but is a more heavier, more substantial version of the style. High Gothic buildings are distinguished by the use of polychrome bands of decorative masonry. Stone quoins, pressed brick, and terra cotta panels were commonly used. Windows and doors were accented with brick or stone trim, often in contrasting colors. The Gothic pointed arch may be present at windows, entrances, and decorative dormers and cross gables. Round turrets with corbelled brickwork and conical roofs are common to this style as well. The towers were extremely emphasized vertically and hence were very tall and were also uneven. Clerestories were very large letting in plenty of light. Not as much empty space was seen inside the cathedrals now. High Gothic was more busy in terms of details to Early Gothic.
Saint-Maclou, Rouen, France.
Late Gothic Main Features
By the late Gothic period, the buildings' flying buttresses (the support systems that allowed the soaring heights) enabled the cathedral walls to contain more and more stained glass windows, which became exquisitely detailed images of the life of Christ and other Biblical themes. The late Gothic style extended its characteristic flame-like window tracery into other parts of the building in the form of stone screens. The move was towards larger rectangular windows and elaborate, fan-shaped vaults.
By the late Gothic period, the buildings' flying buttresses (the support systems that allowed the soaring heights) enabled the cathedral walls to contain more and more stained glass windows, which became exquisitely detailed images of the life of Christ and other Biblical themes. The late Gothic style extended its characteristic flame-like window tracery into other parts of the building in the form of stone screens. The move was towards larger rectangular windows and elaborate, fan-shaped vaults.
Illuminated manuscripts have left a base for type designers as well as book illustrators. They are the epitome of detailed design and colour and many illustrations today may not be able to live up to the prowess of the designs but rather take inspiration from them. Even though modern technology today has reduced much of the creative hand done design much is still inspired but these glorious hand crafted manuscripts. They encouraged the layout of text, even though it may not be the way we do it today, and the flow of design within an illustrative book. These books held the basis of printers themselves being a step towards the printing press. The way we bond our books and process them today was influenced by these illuminated manuscripts.
Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals have influenced architecture and even artwork majorly as we know it today. The advancement cathedrals had in architectural technology was definitely something to consider during that period especially in terms of support for the building. The small fine decorative details can be seen as an influence even in our chattel house today and in screen prints and painting.
Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals have influenced architecture and even artwork majorly as we know it today. The advancement cathedrals had in architectural technology was definitely something to consider during that period especially in terms of support for the building. The small fine decorative details can be seen as an influence even in our chattel house today and in screen prints and painting.