Codices Illustres: The World's Most Famous Manuscripts - Hardcover

Wolf, Norbert

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9783822858523: Codices Illustres: The World's Most Famous Manuscripts

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3822858528 ISBN 13: 9783822858523

Publisher: Taschen America Llc, 2001

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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

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From the Publisher:

Famous Manuscripts: The fascinating world of medieval miniature painting and illumination From The Book of Kells to Boccaccio’s Decameron and from the Vienna Genesis to Dante’s Divine Comedy - see the breathtaking originals of 167 of the greatest classics of all time. This lavishly produced book introduces the reader to the fascinating world of medieval miniature painting and illumination. 167 of the most beautiful and important medieval scripts from the 4th century to 1600 are presented in chronological order and described in full. Each sample of script is headed by highly informative synopses which serves to orient the reader at a glance. These synopses - together with the abundance of brilliant, large-format reproductions - make this book unparalleled in its field. Although the focus is on European manuscripts (French, Dutch, German, Italian, English and Spanish), examples have also been selected to illustrate the refinement and intricacy of manuscript illumination from non-European cultures (Mexican, Persian, Indian, Ottoman etc.). A 36–page appendix contains! biographies of the artists as well as an extensive bibliography, an index and, most importantly, a glossary in which the technical terms used in the book can quickly be found. This is a rare opportunity to come face-to-face with incredibly precious treasures that one would otherwise never seetreasures once belonging to emperors and kings, and now worth many millions.

About the Author:

Ingo F. Walther was born in Berlin in 1940 and studied medieval history, literature and art history in Frankfurt am Main and Munich. While researching Gothic manuscript illumination in various libraries and collections, he was fortunate enough to be able to examine many famous codices in the original. Mr. Walther has published numerous books on Gothic manuscript illumination and on 19th and 20th-century art and artists, including van Gogh and Picasso. Mr. Walther lives near Munich.

Norbert Wolf, born 1949 in Regensburg, completed his doctorate in Art History at Munich University in 1992. He has held guest and deputy professorships in Marburg, Frankfurt/Main, Leipzig, D�sseldorf and Erlangen, and has lectured widely on manuscript illumination. Mr. Wolf has published books on medieval art, Piranesi, Vel�zquez and Romantic painting. He lives in Munich.

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