To further help celebrate the year of History, Heritage and Archaeology, we have on display this month some beautifully illustrated Victorian guides to medieval manuscript illumination:

- "The Art of Illuminating As Practiced in Europe from the Earliest Times." Selected & Chromolithographed by W. R. Tymms. With an Essay and Instructions by M. D. Wyatt Architect. (1860)
- "The Art of Illumination and Missal Painting. A Guide to Modern Illuminators". By H. Noel Humphreys. (1849)
- "Lessons in the Art of Illuminating. With Practical Instructions, And a Sketch of the History of the Art". By W. J. Loftie, B.A, F.S.A (1895)

One of the most iconic of all "Victorian" styles is that of the Gothic Revival. The idealistic and romantic ideas of chivalry, courage, modesty and beauty appealed to Victorian sensibilities. Furthermore, the rose-tinted notion of the Middle Ages as being an age of pastoral charm with knights in shining armour and damsels in distress, all cocooned in a nicely packaged and organised feudal system, served as an antidote to the rapid expansion and technological advances brought on by the Industrial Revolution. The new found interest in the study of medieval illuminated manuscripts was a consequence of this feeling, and as such we see a number of guides to and facsimiles of medieval manuscripts in the latter half of the 19th century.

To see some more beautiful examples of illuminated manuscript illustration, have a look at our online exhibition on the interactive screens.

Document Type

Document Reference

TR14_17

Keyword

Art of Illuminating

Collection

Aberdeen Local Studies

Magnifier?

Yes

Public Access

Yes

For Sale?