Obras Maestras de la Iluminacion

by Dr. Norbert Wolf

OPULENT REPRODUCTIONS OF ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS SPANNING 12 CENTURIES This oversized and magnificently printed tour de force contains examples from 167 of the most dazzling and significant illuminated manuscripts in existence. Presented in chronological order, each reproduction illustrates a one-of-a-kind painting originally created for the church, for royalty or for the wealthiest private benefactors. Although the focus is on European manuscripts (French, Dutch, German, Italian, English and Spanish), nearly two dozen examples have also been included from Persia, Turkey and India - cultures with their own rich traditions of exquisite miniature painting. The highly readable text is both factual and informational. Each entry provides the date and place of origin, format, content, name of miniaturist, number of illustrations, owner and provenance for the featured manuscript. Enriching the facts are essays describing the circumstances of the commission, description of the technique, history of the workshop from which it came, and much more. CODICES ILLUSTRES is an unparalleled reference, but also an irresistible story book, revealing to the reader the significance of imagery used, and sharing fascinating facts about the painters who created these treasures and the patrons who were lucky enough to possess them. A thirty-six page appendix contains biographies of the artists, an extensive bibliography, an index, and a glossary in which the technical terms used in the book can quickly be found. Flanking the page numbers are charming characters and symbols taken from the manuscripts, providing a witty decorative grace note to what is already an embarrassment of riches. Of special note; a fifth color - gold - was used in the printing of two hundred and twelve pages of CODICES ILLUSTRES. This complicated and costly process is the only way to genuinely reproduce the lavish gilding used in so many medieval manuscripts and the book wouldn't be the same without it. CODICES ILLUSTRES is an essential addition to the library of anyone with an interest illuminated manuscripts, medieval art, and the history of books before the invention of printing. **Hardcover with Vellum Dust Jacket

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Art History, Reference

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ogi kokių puošnių knygų būta tais viduramžiais!

Šis puikiai išleistas albumas reprezentuoja knygos(rankraščio) meną (iliustracijas) nuo 400 iki 1600 metų. Didelis gėris čia yra ne tik puikios iliustracijos, bet dar tai, kad informacija (tekstas) pateiktas visai ne nuobodžiai, ne sausai, jos nei per daug ir nei per mažai. Rekomenduoju meno, knygų, religijų, kulturų istorijos ir istorijos apskritai mylėtojams.

'Codex Borgi' iš prieš Kolumbinės Meksikos rankraščių.

Christine de Pisan (Pizan)- viena iš garsiausių ankstyvosios Europos rašytojų. 'Epistles of Othea'

Jan van Eyck (pasirodo buvo ir iliustratorius). 'John the Baptist' gimimas.

Dėkoju Goodreads draugui Aleksandrui už nuostabią rekomendaciją!

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Masterpieces of Illumination: The World's Most Beautiful Illuminated Manuscripts from 400 to 1600" is essentially a reprint of "Codices illustres: The World's Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts 400 to 1600." The former is one of many 25th anniversary Taschen editions, and bears the series logo on its dust-jacket and bright green cover (rather than the classier illumination of the Limburg Brother's Anatomical Man that adorns the cover of the latter). "Masterpieces" is also slightly smaller (9 ¾" x 12 ½") than the original (10 ¼" x 13 ¼"). There are a few other slight differences between the two editions: different endpapers; white paper for the appendix in "Masterpieces," ivory in "Codices"; and slightly darker illustrations in Masterpieces (only noticeable if you actually compare the editions side by side). Otherwise the two editions are virtually identical.

This is a truly wonderful book. It contains discussions and representative illuminations from 167 of the most famous and influential extant codices, books of hours, psalters, Bibles and histories from Europe and Asia (23 or the 167 are from Persia, turkey and India) during the 1200 years in which manuscript illumination flourished as an art form (and at the end of the text proper are samples from yet another 29 manuscripts). The full-color and often full-page illustrations are beautifully and accurately rendered, and the accompanying descriptions are both authoritative and unusually informative. The appendix contains artist biographies, along with a comprehensive bibliography, glossary, and index. In short, this is more than just a coffee-table book; in fact, I use it in my university course on manuscript illumination (along with Christopher De Hamel's excellent "A History of Illuminated Manuscripts," which forms the perfect companion piece to this volume.).

If you only read one book on the subject of manuscript illumination, this should be the one!

[Fede · Rating 1 out of 5]

A totally useless volume. Not in the least informative, plenty of gorgeous pictures (as in all Taschen editions) but basically lacking the textual contents I expected to find.
A good coffee table book, but nothing more.

[laurentiu]

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[Steve Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Beautiful, Illuminating.

This book served as a terrific resource as I prepared my novel BOOK OF HOURS: THE BEGUILEMENT OF BROTHER ALPHAIOS, in which an audacious fifteenth century illuminator constructs a Book of Hours which challenges religious doctrine of the time. Hidden away from the Inquisition, the book languishes for nearly 600 years before it is found and restoration begun. The paintings selected by Walther and Wolf provided fertile soil for my imagined invention of many miniature paintings. It's a terrific resource for anyone interested in illuminated manuscripts.

Coming Winter of 2013
Book of Hours: The Beguilement of Brother Alphaios.

J.S. Anderson jsandersonauthor.com