Perhaps they could be linked to a legacy of pagan iconography or maybe they are simply an illustration of everyday scenes from monastic country life.Ĥ. In some of the margins of the Book of Kells, there are also depictions of animals, both exotic and domestic. In the center are letters, incipit for the narration of the life of Christ while all around them is a swarm of spirals, whorls, and curved inflorescences. The decoration is intricate but meticulous. In particular, among the most famous pages, we find the Chi-Rho folio - the Chi-Rho is made from the first letters of the word “Christ” in ancient Greek. Much more attention was paid to the elegant illustrations. The copied text of the Kells is not the most accurate illuminated manuscript: there are numerous errors throughout.

Therefore, work on the manuscript could have taken place in both places. The book later took refuge in a new monastery in Kells (Ireland) because of a Viking invasion. Academic studies have attributed the authorship to the scriptorium of Iona (Argyllshire). The actual place of creation of the Book of Kells is shrouded in mystery. 800 CE, Trinity College Library via Britannica Because of their value, illuminated manuscripts like the Book of Kells were not used during ordinary religious services but were reserved only for special liturgical occasions and ceremonies.Ĭhi-rho page from the Book of Kells, c. It is currently preserved in the library of Trinity College in Dublin (Ireland), and it is a masterpiece of medieval Irish illustration. The codex narrated through images and text the four gospels of the Christian New Testament, with prefaces and descriptions. The Book of Kells, dating from 800 CE, is an ancient, illuminated manuscript and it served precisely this educational and religious function. These bibles and illustrated gospels enabled even illiterate people to understand Christian doctrine. It served to pass on and preserve religious knowledge for posterity and the creation of these codices was also a method of indoctrination. It must have been an exhausting task: in the margins of some manuscripts, one can find actual complaints written by the monastic copyists! Nevertheless, their work was of vital importance to Christianity. Medieval scribes mainly worked in Christian monasteries, carefully hand-copying the original texts of the Bible. 800 CE, from Trinity College Library via Wikimedia CommonsĪ picture can indeed say more than a thousand words, and the humans of Medieval Europe knew this well! Creating an illuminated manuscript was a long, tiring, extremely expensive process. An Ancient Illuminated Manuscript: The Book of Kells Folio with Evangelists Symbols, from the Book of Kells, c.

However, its pages are available for browsing on the Morgan Library and Museum website.ĥ. Given the extremely delicate nature of the manuscript, it has suffered from conservation issues and requires careful treatment. The stylistic elements of this masterpiece are so distinctive that the artistic attribution has been advanced by scholars it is believed the artist could have been a follower of the circle of Willem Vrelant, one of the most influential Flemish illuminators of the period. The margins are also decorated with blue borders, gold acanthus leaves, and other drolleries. In fact, the color palette is very limited in its depictions: colored in blue, old rose, green, gray, and white, with a few touches of gold. Not only are the pages painted black, but the miniatures themselves also use the same dark tones. Made in Bruges (Flanders) between 14, this illuminated manuscript was probably realized for a sophisticated patron of the Burgundian Court. This unusual page color is due to the extremely corrosive process used to dye the vellum with iron gall ink. An Obscure Illuminated Manuscript : The Black Hours Black Hours Manuscript, created in Bruges, 1475-1480 CE, via the Morgan Library and MuseumĪmong the most curious of all illuminated manuscripts, the Black Hours strikes our contemporary eyes with its unique dark blueish shades.

Medieval illuminations