Illuminated Manuscripts

What is meant by art?--The art faculty--How artists may be compared--The aim of illumination--Distinction between illumination and miniature--Definition of illumination--The first miniature painter--Origin of the term "miniature"--Ovid's allusion to his little book.

CHAPTER II

VELLUM AND OTHER MATERIALS

Difference between vellum and parchment--Names of different preparations--The kinds of vellum most prized for illuminated books--The "parcheminerie" of the Abbey of Cluny--Origin of the term "parchment"--Papyrus.

CHAPTER III

WRITING

Its different styles--Origin of Western alphabets--Various forms of letters--Capitals, uncials, etc.--Texts used in Western Europe--Forms of ancient writings--The roll, or volume--The codex--Tablets--Diptychs, etc.--The square book--How different sizes of books were produced.

CHAPTER IV

GREEK AND ROMAN ILLUMINATION

The first miniature painter--The Vatican Vergils--Methods of painting--Origin of Christian art--The Vienna Genesis--The Dioscorides--The Byzantine Revival.

CHAPTER V

BYZANTINE ILLUMINATION

The rebuilding of the city of Byzantium the beginning of Byzantine art--Justinian's fondness for building and splendour--Description of Paul the Silentiary--Sumptuous garments--The Gospel-book of Hormisdas--Characteristics of Byzantine work--Comparative scarcity of examples--Rigidity of Byzantine rules of art--Periods of Byzantine art--Examples--Monotony and lifelessness of the style.

CHAPTER VI

CELTIC ILLUMINATION

Early liturgical books reflect the ecclesiastical art of their time--This feature a continuous characteristic of illumination down to the latest times--Elements of Celtic ornament--Gospels of St. Chad--Durham Gospels--Contrast of Celtic and Byzantine--St. Columba--Book of Kells--Details of its decoration.

CHAPTER VII

CELTIC ILLUMINATION--continued

The Iona Gospels--Contrast with Roman and Byzantine--Details--Treatment of animal forms--Colour schemes--The Gospel-book of St. Columbanus--That of Mael Brith Mac Durnan--The Lindisfarne Gospels--Cumdachs--Other book-shrines.

CHAPTER VIII

SEMI-BARBARIC ILLUMINATION

Visigothic--Merovingian--Lombardic--Extinction of classic art--Splendid reign of Dagobert--St. Eloy of Noyon--The Library of Laon--Natural History of Isidore of Seville--Elements of contemporary art--Details of ornament--Symbolism--Luxeuil and Monte Cassino--Sacramentary of Gellone--"Prudentius"--"Orosius"--Value of the Sacramentary of Gellone.

CHAPTER IX

DEVELOPMENT OF THE INITIAL

The initial and initial paragraph the main object of decoration in Celtic illumination--Study of the letter L as an example--The I of "In principio" and the B of "Beatus Vir".

CHAPTER X

FIRST ENGLISH STYLES

Transition from Iona to Lindisfarne--Influence of Frankish art--The "Opus Anglicum"--The Winchester school and its characteristics--Whence obtained--Method of painting--Examples--Where found and described.

CHAPTER XI

CAROLINGIAN ILLUMINATION

Why so-called--Works to be consulted--The Library of St. Gall--Rise and progress of Carolingian art--Account of various MSS.--Feature of the style--Gospels of St. Sernin--The Ada-Codex--Centres of production--Other splendid examples--The Alcuin Bible--The Gospel of St. Médard of Soissons.

CHAPTER XII

MONASTIC ILLUMINATION