Genius of Illumination Exhibition British Library - Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

Update 4/4/2012

I've just finished reading talking book no TB005110 (RNIB Catalogue) titled year of Three Kings - 1483 by Giles St Aubyn.  While dealing extensively with Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III this book also covers  Henry VI and Henry VII .  It lasts about 8 hours and is well read and though a concentrated 'read', explains much about the interpretation of some of the characters in the 15th century.  St Aubyn refers to both the Cotton collection and the Harley collection of manuscripts in the British Library. 

I have bought the following books from the internet fairly cheaply.  They provide large illustrations and are useful as they are easier a sighted person to describe than the alternative - reading from a computer screen - :

Illuminated Manuscripts of Germany and Central Europ in the J Paul Getty Museum by Thomas Kren
The Illuminated Manuscript by Janet Backhouse
Illuminated Manuscripts by D.M.Gill
Masterpieces of the J.Paul Getty Museum: Illuminated Manuscripts

** end of update

Update 14/3/2012

Some themes have emerged in following up the exhibition with other illuminated manuscripts.  In this update philosophy is covered in terms of the Wheel of Fortune and some extracts from Boethius.  The quotes are from Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination by Scot McKendrick, John Lowden and Kathleen Doyle.  The book / catalogue was published to accompany the British Library’s exhibition of the same title.

Wheel of Fortune

Page 248 – Wheel of Fortune (f 30v)

A common theme is the instruction for a king giving advice that Fortune can be good and bad.  “The emblem of a king poised at the apex of Fortune’s wheel was a traditional reminder of the vagaries of power.”(p249)

Boethius

“In order to regain God’s favour while Latin learning was at a low ebb, Alfred spearheaded a drive to translate key texts, being personally involved in producing vernacular versions of Gregory’s Pastoral Care, Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, Augustine’s Soliloquies and the first fifty Psalms.” (p114)

“The adaptation of the De re militari was work of a different translator, identified by Science (1927) with John Walton, who in 1410 translated into English the De consolatione philosophiae of Boethius for Elizabeth Berkeley, Sir Thomas’s daughter.” (p364)

Des Cleres et nobles femmes

(Giovanni Boccaccio, De mulieribus claris, in an anonymous French translation) Paris c1410

“The present manuscript belongs to a small group containing the oldest redaction of the French translation.  It was made in Paris c1410, and illustrated by an artist active there, now known as the Boethius Master because he illuminated a copy of Boethius dated 1414.  Since there was no established iconographic programme for Des cleres et nobles femmes, he was relatively free from constraints when he designed its 106 miniatures.  Intriguingly, some miniatures contain details that are not included in the accompanying text… It is likely that the Boethius Master … had access to a more accurate copy of the text… It is not necessary to insist on a single source; several could have been employed.” (p242)

Interesting parallels with:

Jean de Courcy, Le Chemin de vaillance (p224) – miniature on page 225

Des Cas des nobles hommes et femmes (222) (Giovanni Boccaccio, De casibus virorum illustrium, translated into French by Laurent de Premierfait)

see also blog post on the Wallace Collection and illuminated manuscripts on:
http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2011/12/wallace-museum-illuminated-medieval.html

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Exhibition links:

British Library: http://www.bl.uk//whatson/exhibitions/royalman/about/index.html

I had been wanting to visit this exhibition at the British Library for some time.  This blog had mentioned the exhibition and a TV series with Janina Ramirez.  My blog on the Wallace Collection of illuminated manuscripts covered a description which had been made in conjunction with a workshop.  I was hooked though this exhibition was a big request to make of some friends in explaining some of the many objects. 

Main facebook album page: http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=8579062138

(The album is divided into 7 sections.  The links to individual sections are given at the bottom of the post.)

My father had been a bookbinder and several years before he retired he took more of an interest in hand sewn bookbinding and gold lettering which he had learned as an apprentice and  had practised as a craftsman.  As befitting a “shoemaker’s bairn” many of my own books were unbound and I grew up in a house learning the practical way of not knowing a “book by its cover.”  My father bound several copies of my PhD thesis in full leather and with gold lettering. I remember his punching the letters on the leather and applying gold leaf.  When he retired he had been approached to hand bind some old books but he declined with a few exceptions.  The TV series was played to me on my computer and we managed to make a soundtrack of it.  As it was unlikely that I would be able to go in person to the British Library a friend ordered the catalogue for me.  My experience at the Wallace Collection had shown that for my type of blindness (loss of central vision) the printed copy may be a better bet, as many of the originals are displayed in lighting conditions which are not always ideal.  This was described in my post on the Wallace Collection.  I determined that a combination of the catalogue and some images from the British Library site might be a viable alternative considering my reduced mobility. 

After coming out of hospital and being more or less housebound a friend started reading me part of the catalogue of the illuminated manuscripts in the exhibition with some of the essays.  The friend showed interest and offered to take me to the British Library and on February 11^th We took a cab to the side entrance of the complex at St Pancras and I hobbled in.   The audio guide was handed out and instructions given.  The guide has about 22 items described with further essays by Scott McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle, the curators.  The exhibition has a timed entry so that there are only enough viewers to match the display cases with an apparent time allowed by an average visitor.  Just before entering the exhibition space downstairs there is a handling area of parchment, vellum, quills, velvet and leather in addition to the tools in a display panel.  At this point Jackie started the recorder and we were off on a 3 hour visit which passed by so quickly.  Jackie had a break during the audio entry descriptions and after about 7 items we both realised that no notes were made of these objects.

Janina Ramirez had made a very interesting series about the history of the manuscripts and the technologies employed in the production of vellum, gesso and pigments.  The library collection was founded by King Edward IV who collected manuscripts, books and early books of knowledge.  The frontispiece of these books is usually the most attractive feature though some other displays of the calligraphy can be noted.  Wars in France had resulted in much of the French Royal Collection being bundled and added to the Royal Collection.  The Battles of Crecy and Agincourt gained much booty and plunder.  The French collection was shipped to England.  In Scotland we were not taught much English history and my school in Edinburgh had a facsimile of the Declaration of Arbroath.  I have visited many world museums and realise the importance of manuscripts and the continued use of vellum in Britain.  The collection covers many topics and several items were a pleasant surprise:the collections of maps written by Matthew Paris in 1255. Paris was a monk at St Albans and produced many books. He drew a series of maps in 8 stages of a journey from London to Jerusalem.  In the exhibition these maps are posted much in the same way as railway timetables are mounted on a carousel in stations.  There is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth of England by George Gower and a tapestry as well as some prayer rolls.  I was interested in some of the Psalters and their illuminated paintings of scenes from the Biblical King David in the dress of the Middle Ages.  The family of De Bohun were influential in passing the dynasties and their manuscripts into Royal hands through Henry IV and Henry V.  Books were often venerated and used to legitimate the authority of a royal house at the time.  Following the Wars of the Roses, heraldic devices were used as shorthand confirming the lineage of the occupier of a throne.  In the French collection characters such as Robert of Anjou, the Capetian, Burgundian  and Valois dynasties,  Philip the Fair and Charles the Bold reminded me of a TV series which was shown in the mid 1970s. The series followed the historical novels of Maurice Druon (French Academy) entitled Les Rois Maudits or The Accursed Kings.  This was shown in French with sub titles and when I was in Paris in 1975 I bought the series of 6 books, in French.  I managed to get the English translations of the books in paperback and must find out if they were ever recorded.  ** Update 7/4/12 - Thanks to a friend, I have been able to order the DVDs with about 10 hours worth from the mini series which was made in 1972 - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0173594/ .  I couldn't face listening to JAWS reading me the books in English or in French, so I'm going to have to imagine that I can understand what's going on as I listen to the soundtrack of the DVD.**

Editing of the recording was done at home and we managed to reduce the 3 hour visit down to 90 minutes of Audio CD. It takes up 2 CDs and Jackie and I have managed to match many of the commentaries with both the catalogue and the images which can be found on the British Library site. 

The catalogue is very well produced and will bring much enjoyment.  This exhibition had proved to be of interest and it shows that with a little imagination and a sharing of some knowledge and sight 2 people enjoyed an exhibition which may at first glance appeared to be inaccessible. 

You can listen to Jackie and me discussing the samples of parchment, vellum and quills at the start of the exhibition.  One of these sound files is on Audioboo at http://audioboo.fm/boos/674665-british-library-genius-of-illumination-part-1 .  I’m working on more and if you get yourself on Twitter it is possible to get these sound files as they are sent. It takes some time to match the files with the individual manuscript but this is something that has proved interesting in bringing some history to life.  The British Library is very useful as a start in getting more information.  Being interested in maps I was attracted to the map of Matthew Paris and a quick search in a search produced the link http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/illmanus/roymanucoll/n/011roy000014c07u00003v00.html

The catalogue makes a wonderful souvenir:

Royal Manuscripts The Genius of Illumination by Scot McKendrick, John Lowden and Kathleen Doyle

(ISBN 978-0-7123-5815-6)

Other books which I found were

The High Middle Ages in Germany Edited by Rolf Toman (ISBN 3-8228-0297-2

Meieval Poetry Edited by John Cherry (ISBN 0-7141-5016-9)

Key words in a search could include:Heraldry, Ritual, Coronation, Philosophy, History, Bible Stories, Knowledge and Power.

Names of monarchs of England, France and nobility such as de Bohun, Arundel, Bedford

Battles such as Crecy and Agincourt

The British Library is raising a campaign for a Gospel of St Cuthbert. I have “cheekily” asked for an audio description to it.  http://yfrog.com/oeq1vvlj

1.                 Christian monarch 700-1400 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150397063812139.404229.8579062138&type=3

2.                 The Christian Monarch 1400-1600 http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150397323207139.404287.8579062138&type=3

3.                 Edward IV – founder of the Royal library http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398257227139.404471.8579062138&type=3

4.                 Instruction: How to be a king http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398274327139.404476.8579062138&type=3

5.                 The World’s Knowledge http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398286127139.404478.8579062138&type=3

6.                 Royal Identities http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398304687139.404481.8579062138&type=3

7.                 The European Monarch http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398311687139.404482.8579062138&type=3

Wallace Museum: illuminated medieval manuscripts and workshop

Update  14 March 2012

A copy of the Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscript Cuttings by J.J.G.Alexander (1980) has been found and this gives some idea of how much a visually impaired person can be informed by a description and discussion of the manuscripts in a group.  Combined with the images sent to me by the Wallace they provide a good starting point for more enjoyable study.  While the 1980 catalogue was written some 30 years ago, the descriptive terms are as imaginable as if someone was in the room. There is not an adjective wasted or thrown away and this style may be out of fashion with some advocates of “creative writing”.

  

I have quoted the descriptive parts of the catalogue which had a few colour plates but relied on black and white photographs on cost grounds. The catalogue also has academic references and is overall written in a formal fashion.  It may be that colour printing now means much visual description of objects relies more on the viewer’s interpretation.  The descriptions are presented in the order in which the manuscripts are discussed in the blogpost and are identified as Manuscript 1,2,3  and 4.

Manuscript 1

The Adoration of the Magi

"On the right the Virgin in white seated on the ground holding the naked Child on her lap with St Joseph standing behind. Two Magi drcssed in white and green stand on the left and the eldest Magus with a gold robe over white kneels with hands clasped in prayer in front. The stable shed with ox and ass is shown behind. There is no text.

The borders in typical Ghent/Bruges style have acanthus scroll in gold and blue and in grey/blue on green with naturalistic details, flowers, a butterfly, a dragonfly and a peacock, and two grotesques, a pig playing the bagpipes and a monkey packman.”

Manuscript 2

Initial ‘D’ with the Entry into Jerusalem   Lombard c1500

"Christ, dressed in red with a blue cloak lined in green, rides on the ass into Jerusalem towards the right with the Apostles behind Him. Two boys climb trees to strew branches, and two others spread their cloaks on the ground. Further behind to the right are a group of men at the city gate. Mountains are visible in the distance on the left.

The initial is in violet with blue and green foliage and is set on a gold ground. A small portion of text with musical staves   is visible to the right of the initial.”

Manuscripts 3 and 4

The two Boethius Plates
French c.1460—70

Miniatures from Boethius, ‘De Consolatione Philosophiae’

Manuscript 3

"Frontispiece to Book II of the so-called ‘second French prose and verse translation’ of Boethius’. The round-topped miniature has a rich foliage border in which are birds and butterflies. On the left, inside a room, Boethius in a pink robe and red cap is seated listening to the instruction of Philosophy who stands dressed in blue and holding a book and a rod. The walls of the room are painted red with green foliage ornament as if covered with tapestry hangings, and two windows open on to a distant view of a town. To the right, outside, Fortune in red and green turns a wheel on which are four figures, the one enthroned above a King with a crown, a second at the bottom falling down, and the third and fourth at the sides ascending and descending. On the wall of the building which is painted blue is written in gold se jai bien entendu. On the grey pavement below is written in gold O tu home pourquoi te plain to de moi." 

Manuscript 4
"Frontispiece to Book III. Boethius, in the same robe, on the left at the door of the house addressing Philosophy who is accompanied by the female personifications of the Seven Liberal Arts: Grammar in white with open book; Dialectic in blue inscribed on the sleeve Ergo, Ergo; Rhetoric in red writing with a quill; Music in a pink dress and blue surcoat with an open book with musical notation; Geometry in gold holding a set square; Arithmetic in green holding a scroll with numbers, and Astronomy behind pointing up at the moon and stars. On Boethius’ shoulder are the words in gold O souverain confort."


see also blog post on the British Library's exhibition on illuminated manuscripts on:

http://profwhitestick.blogspot.com/2012/02/genius-of-illumination-exhibition.html

** end of update

 

Update: 19th December, 2011

I wanted to post this describing my memories and own mental image making at the time of the manuscripts discussed in the event of 14^th December at the Wallace Collection.  Catherine from the Wallace Collection has arranged for me to post images of these manuscripts. 

These images can be expanded and I’ve been able to make out more detail on my laptop with manuscripts 2,3 and 4.  There’s little on file regarding the manuscripts other than the Wallace Museum’s own reference as indicated by the link, as it was featured as a Treasure of the Month in August 2005. 

This may also give a reader of this blog an idea of how useful these audio descriptions are, though whether my memory is up to the reality of the picture remains to be uncovered.  My notes on the manuscripts remain unaltered.

Many thanks to the Wallace Museum for sharing these images.  I found it a great privilege to share in some pieces of history which are neglected by many yet can be uncovered in such a collection as the Wallace, with a bit of imagination on the part of all the participants.  This is a theme to which I shall return in another update on the blog. 

** end of update

I described my visit to the Wallace Museum in a previous post.  I had walked in more or less “off the street” and enjoyed an afternoon wandering around the galleries and talking to the attendants. The Wallace also arranges special events for the visually impaired and a recent afternoon event caught my attention.  I’m on the Wallace’s mailing list and their quarterly “What’s On” was lying around and a friend noticed that there was an ‘Access Event’ for the visually impaired.  I contacted the Wallace and had some email exchanges and a chat with Catherine from the relevant department.   (community@wallacecollection.org  020 7563 9577) 

The subject for the December event was titled “Sensation! Medieval Manuscripts” and billed as an event to “Examine beautiful and intricate illuminated manuscripts, listen to picture descriptions and take inspiration from the manuscripts to create your own printed work on acetate that that can be illuminated from behind.”  (http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/event/3881)

My friend thought this would: a) keep me out of trouble for one afternoon; and b) was interested in how the visually impaired could relate to a medieval manuscript which couldn’t be touched for obvious reasons. 

These events are very unpredictable and depend very much on the visually impaired people attending, with input from their sighted companions and, of course, the facilitators. I think it's fascinating that we were able to share in some treasures in the collection which are probably seldom uncovered, let alone have the light put on them even by the sighted casual visitor.  This event, therefore, has an in-built measure of serendipity as each manuscript has to be located, uncovered and a time switch put on and inspected by those with some vision.  The Wallace laid on a variety of magnifiers and even a torch was allowed, just in case those with some central vision could make out just a little of the detail on a viewing basis. 

We gathered at 12:30 in the entrance area and went to the Workshop Room one level below the courtyard restaurant.  We passed by many treasures on the way and on asking ‘What is this piece of sculpture?’ I was told it’s a Canova.  Just like that! 

The event was led by Catherine, assisted by Rebecca and Jocelyn, who remembered me from a talk she had led at the National Gallery on a Hogarth painting.  (I had mentioned some chemical properties of mercury, i.e. quicksilver, compounds in the treatment of syphilis.)    There were about twelve people attending in total including carers and companions. 

An introduction to the Wallace Museum’s collection of medieval manuscripts was made together with some interesting discussions about the survival of many of these illuminated manuscripts from their original bindings and the damage inflicted by vandalism of various sorts through the turmoil of the Reformation, dissolution of the monasteries and political troubles.  Many books have been pillaged for a frontispiece and according to one of the attendees, a process known as Grangerism.  This attendee obviously had some connection with fine art! 

In the 1970s I had bought some prints of maps which had been cut out of some map books at which time print dealers could make a considerable profit cutting up old books for their coloured plates and prints.  The Grangerism concept was new to me and another amazing insight to the art trade which would normally have passed one by. 

With some background knowledge of the manuscripts, we went to the gallery upstairs and gathered around the showcase with our copies of the manuscripts. 

At these events it's also always difficult to predict when the 'image' is fixed in the mind.  I could make little out of the manuscripts, so I followed the descriptions on the copies which the Wallace had made available for us to follow and to keep.  These are high quality reproductions.  Also, with the help of Jocelyn and remarks by Rebecca and other attendees gathered quite a lot of the jigsaw of the manuscripts themselves.  Catherine was describing the geometry, layout, figures, colours and we were free to ask questions and discuss topics which were being depicted.  When I was able to look at the reproduction under different lighting conditions during the workshop, I could make out more.  It was interesting that Rebecca took the time to take me through the appreciation form. 

The manuscripts are all taken from Book of Hours and have sources in Flanders, Bruges or Ghent, Lombardy and the Master of Coetivy.  There is little documentation.

Manuscript 1: a Flemish manuscript showing the Magi or three wise men.  The wise men, Mary and the child can be made out as, except for the child, they are all dressed in white.  I could just about make out a Joseph in the background.  There are paintings of leaves and flowers surrounding the scene.

Manuscript 2: This is a Palm Sunday scene showing Christ dressed in a red tunic and a blue cloak and mounted on a horse.  In the background is the city of Jerusalem.  The painting is enclosed with an oval shape and is surrounded by foliage.  Apparently this is a letter D shape.

© By kind permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection, London

Manuscript 3:  This is a picture of Boethius sitting contemplating while a woman with an enormous white hat is standing near him.  The scene looks as if it is in the courtyard of a house.  To the right of the woman there is a representation of the Wheel of Fortune.  http://www.wallacecollection.org/whatson/treasure/18

© By kind permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection, London

Manuscript 4: Another Boethius and Philosophy discussion, with the subjects of Philosophy such as Rhetoric and Astronomy depicted by women studying and writing texts. 

© By kind permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection, London

Manuscripts 3 and 4 have some writing in Renaissance French and we were lucky that one of the attendees could read out the French and give us a translation.  Rebecca discussed marginalia which are “scribbles, comments, and illuminations in the margins of a book.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginalia)  Thinking about it, the marginalia which Rebecca explained in the gallery could be represented in the 21st century by Twitter feed tagged on to an image of the 'Book of Hours' as an example. 

After viewing the manuscripts we returned to our room for the rest of the workshop, when Jocelyn taught us printing techniques using some ivy leaves to form an image of the delicate leaf structure by mixing some paint, rolling it with the leaf and then pressing the leaf on to an acetate sheet.  The yellow tinged acetate sheet had a white card behind and the leaf structure and outline could be made.  Jocelyn also taught me a technique using acrylic paint on an acetate sheet.

I do some painting on a Friday afternoons and so when offered green, I've been trained by my tutor, Val Fox, to mix my own colours from the primaries, though of course I have no idea how they end up!  Jocelyn gave me an idea, though when Rebecca asked me what I was contemplating, I couldn't express it at the time.  I used this technique to roll out my mixed green on an acetate sheet and then put some swirls in with the sharp end of a paint brush.

Once it had dried and I took it home, it was scanned both shiny side and matt side, and the matt side is different from the shiny side, which shows some unmixed blue.  I mention this because this technique reproduces the filigree metal work and even wallpaper I had seen in Scotland when visiting such places as New Hailes and Arniston House.  It is also tactile inasmuch as the pattern can be traced by the finger as the acrylic paint leaves a ridge, rather like a contour.

I really came for the manuscripts, but I did enjoy the workshop session as well.  Thanks to Jocelyn and Rebecca at the workshop and to Catherine for organising the event.  Many thanks to the Wallace Museum for a commitment to give access to groups such as ourselves, but for also being very accessible on an impromptu visit should you decide to try it out on your own. 

These events prove that the visually impaired community can discuss adult themes such as grangerism in the fine arts and illustrates how an enlightened museum can bring inspiration, entertainment and some broadening of lifelong learning.