Illustrations were sometimes combined with borders, and marginal sketches and grotesques (now known as drolleries) were reintroduced. Generally there was less text on page, with blank spaces in lines of text being filled with decorative bars. During the Gothic period books became smaller and more delicate, with increased integration between illustrations and text. The rise of universities and cathedral schools led to an increased demand for books of all kinds. The Gothic style dates from around 1150AD and, like the Romanesque, was an international style. One well-known example of a Romanesque manuscript is the Winchester Bible (c.1150-1200AD). These initials, which were more common than full-page illustrations, could sometimes extend the length of the page. These initials, found at the commencement of a chapter, combined the initial of the opening word with foliage, figures or pictures illustrating a portion of the text. Romanesque manuscripts feature grotesques (a variety of real and imaginary creatures), textured or gold backgrounds, and historiated initials. An increase in monasticism meant that many books were produced for public use, leading to the production of larger sized books. During this period a wider variety of books was produced, including large Bibles and commentaries, lives of Saints, theological works, missals and Psalters as well as Gospels. The Romanesque style, which dates from around the year 1000 and continues for about 200 years, was an international rather than a national style and examples of Romanesque manuscripts come from a wide geographical area. One of the best-known, but not typical, Carolingian mansucripts is the Utrecht Psalter (c.820-830AD) The Old Testament was a popular subject popular because its political themes appealed to a courtly audience. The illuminations were display a combination of two dimensional ornament and increased sense of three dimensions in the depiction of figures. They sometimes included sections written in gold or silver ink on purple vellum and often contained lavish quantities of gold. Caroline manuscripts were written in Caroline miniscule text and were more classical in style. Manuscripts during this period were made for imperial and aristocratic use as well as for ecclesiastical use and it was at this time that manuscript production expanded from the monasteries to secular workshops. The Carolingian style is associated with the court of Charlemagne who set out to revive book design and production. ![]() Indeed, for many areas and time periods, they are the only surviving examples of painting. They are also the best surviving specimens of medieval painting. Illuminated manuscripts are the most common item to survive from the Middle Ages. Beginning in the late Middle Ages manuscripts began to be produced on paper. Most medieval manuscripts, illuminated or not, were written on parchment (most commonly calf, sheep, or goat skin) or vellum (calf skin). A very few illuminated manuscript fragments survive on papyrus. Most illuminated manuscripts were created as codices, although many illuminated manuscripts were rolls or single sheets. However, especially from 13th century onward, an increasing number of secular texts were illuminated. The majority of these manuscripts are of a religious nature. The majority of surviving manuscripts are from the Middle Ages, although many illuminated manuscripts survive from the 15th century Renaissance, along with a very limited number from late antiquity. The very existence of illuminated manuscripts as a way of giving stature and commemoration to ancient documents may have been largely responsible for their preservation in an era when barbarian hordes had overrun continental Europe. Had it not been for the (mostly monastic) scribes of late antiquity, the entire content of western heritage literature from Greece and Rome could have perished. The meaning of these works lies not only in their inherent art history value, but in the maintenance of a link of literacy. The earliest surviving substantive illuminated manuscripts are from the period AD 400 to 600, primarily produced in Ireland, Italy and other locations on the European continent. However, in both common usage and modern scholarship, the term is now used to refer to any decorated manuscript. In the strictest definition of the term, an illuminated manuscript only refers to manuscripts decorated with gold or silver. ![]() An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration or illustration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniatures.
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