Facts about Manuscript Illumination

1. 05

   Books of Hours, a popular genre of illuminated manuscripts, were the bestselling books of the late Middle Ages and were owned by laypeople for personal devotion.

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2. 04

   Illuminated manuscripts are among the best-preserved examples of medieval painting, as pigments protected inside bound books survived far better than panel or wall paintings.

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3. 03

   Secular workshops run by professional artists largely replaced monastic production of illuminated manuscripts during the later medieval period as wealthy patrons commissioned personalized books.

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4. 02

   Monastic scriptoria of medieval Europe were the primary centers of manuscript illumination, with monks dedicating years to completing single volumes.

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5. 01

   The technique of manuscript illumination used gold leaf and ultramarine pigment derived from lapis lazuli to create brilliantly colored medieval decorated books.

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