The first of five volumes that will offer the entire corpus of extraordinary illuminations from 26 codices spanning the 9th to the 13th century, which contain portions of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation, compiled by the Asturian monk Beatus around the year 776. These illustrations represent the greatest single tradition of Apocalyptic imagery in the Middle Ages. The present introductory volume provides a general overview of the textual and visual tradition of all manuscripts containing Beatus' commentary. Includes 41 color plates and 100 monochrome illustrations. Distributed by Oxford U. Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
"Studies the illustration of Revelation in manuscripts from the ninth to the fifteenth century. Examines how twenty-five of the most important illustrated Apocalypses illustrate the biblical text and interpret it for diverse audiences"--Résumé de l'auteur.
An extraordinary and beautifully illustrated exploration of the medieval world through twelve manuscripts, from one of the world's leading experts. Winner of The Wolfson History Prize and The Duff Cooper Prize. A San Francisco Chronicle Holiday Book Gift Guide Pick! Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is a captivating examination of twelve illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period. Noted authority Christopher de Hamel invites the reader into intimate conversations with these texts to explore what they tell us about nearly a thousand years of medieval history - and about the modern world, too. In so doing, de Hamel introduces us to kings, queens, saints, scribes, artists, librarians, thieves, dealers, and collectors. He traces the elaborate journeys that these exceptionally precious artifacts have made through time and shows us how they have been copied, how they have been embroiled in politics, how they have been regarded as objects of supreme beauty and as symbols of national identity, and who has owned them or lusted after them (and how we can tell). From the earliest book in medieval England to the incomparable Book of Kells to the oldest manuscript of the Canterbury Tales, these encounters tell a narrative of intellectual culture and art over the course of a millennium. Two of the manuscripts visited are now in libraries of North America, the Morgan Library in New York and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Part travel book, part detective story, part conversation with the reader, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts allows us to experience some of the greatest works of art in our culture to give us a different perspective on history and on how we come by knowledge.
The publication of this comprehensive catalogue celebrates the distinguished career of William D. Wixom at the Metropolitan. Highlighted in these pages are more than three hundred purchases and gifts, the great majority of which have been on view but many of which have remained unpublished until now. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.
Home to an extraordinary collection of treasured masterworks, including the famed Unicorn Tapestries, The Cloisters is devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. This splendid new guide, published to celebrate The Cloisters' seventy-fifth anniversary, richly illustrates and describes the most important highlights of its collection, from paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and exquisitely carved ivories to its monumental architecture evocative of the grand religious spaces and domestic interiors of the Middle Ages. The Cloisters remains a testament to design innovation—a New York City landmark with sweeping views of the Hudson River—featuring original elements of Romanesque and Gothic architecture dating from the 12th through the 15th century. Three of the structures enclose beautiful gardens cultivated with species known from tapestries, medieval herbals, and other historic sources. These exotic spaces, the art masterpieces, and the fragrant plants offer visitors an oasis of serenity and inspiration. This book both encapsulates and enhances that experience.
A celebration of the visual contributions of the bestiary--one of the most popular types of illuminated books during the Middle Ages--and an exploration of its lasting legacy. Brimming with lively animals both real and fantastic, the bestiary was one of the great illuminated manuscript traditions of the Middle Ages. Encompassing imaginary creatures such as the unicorn, siren, and griffin; exotic beasts including the tiger, elephant, and ape; as well as animals native to Europe like the beaver, dog, and hedgehog, the bestiary is a vibrant testimony to the medieval understanding of animals and their role in the world. So iconic were the stories and images of the bestiary that its beasts essentially escaped from the pages, appearing in a wide variety of manuscripts and other objects, including tapestries, ivories, metalwork, and sculpture. With over 270 color illustrations and contributions by twenty-five leading scholars, this gorgeous volume explores the bestiary and its widespread influence on medieval art and culture as well as on modern and contemporary artists like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst. Published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center May 14 to August 18, 2019.
The first of five volumes that will offer the entire corpus of extraordinary illuminations from 26 codices spanning the 9th to the 13th century, which contain portions of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation, compiled by the Asturian monk Beatus around the year 776. These illustrations represent the greatest single tradition of Apocalyptic imagery in the Middle Ages. The present introductory volume provides a general overview of the textual and visual tradition of all manuscripts containing Beatus' commentary. Includes 41 color plates and 100 monochrome illustrations. Distributed by Oxford U. Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.
