Author: Olivia Shehan

It was a great experience to look at the Persian manuscripts in class on Wednesday morning. I appreciated getting to look at them because it broadened my knowledge on the different types of style for illuminated manuscripts. From the Book of Hours and Les Tres Riches Heures, illuminated manuscripts to me seemed to follow the general mise-en-page of the template we were given in class. An image would take up all or part of the page. The images of the Limbourg brothers are particularly fascinating because there are multiple scenes going on within one image. A decorated of historiated letter would begin a section of text with rubric marking different sections. Marginalia, sometimes gilded, would go next to the text and create a sort of border. All of these aspects made the page seem very solid and filled with color and text. The Persian manuscripts to me seemed to contrast this. Most the pages had one image that was their focus point, surrounded by the text. Only one of the pages we saw had a marginalia. Of course, we only saw four samples and other texts could be very different. Another point the was made Professor Serrano was their exposure to elements. The Book of Hours pages’ are so colorful because they were closed off to the elements while the Persian pages were not. Perhaps these pages were more colorful and seemed to “fill” the space like the European texts before they faded over time.

These similarities and differences will be interesting to follow as we continue to read My Name is Red. It was partly the passage on the Venetian portrait in the palazzo that inspired me to about this topic of different styles. I loved how Enishte Effendi described how detailed it was and, that you could recognize the gentlemen in a crowd by going off of that painting. He waanted to do the same in a portrait of the Sultan because he was so inspired. While each region has their own style of manuscripts, there are definitely some over arching themes that can be seen in all of them.

 

The Secret of Kells was a a pleasant surprise for our class movie. When we were told on Wednesday it was primarily a children’s movie, I was doubtful to how it could have an impact on our unit on illumination. However, I was proved wrong as elements of illumination were incorporated throughout the entire film, elegantly flowing across the screen. The director and animator clearly spent a great deal of time studying the art of illumination and the intricate designs of the Book of Kells to bring them to life in their film.

The details of illumination were not just seen in the images Brandon was drawing into the Book of Kells.  From the characters to the forest, there was always the combination of uniform symmetrical patterns with flowing designs. I was first struck by the silhouettes of the other monks. Some were rounded and tall, while some were very rectangular. Then there is the abbey of Kells. The thousands of huts and the scriptorium created a pattern of arches, and contrasted against the straight lines of the tower and wall. As the film progresses, and Brandon’s perspective of the world grows, the patterns of illumination become more pronounced. The forest has the straight lines of the tree trunks paired with the curving of the branches. This is also Brandon’s introduction to brilliant color, which influences his artwork once he acquires the vibrant ink colors made of ingredients from the forest. Brandon would not have been able to create the Book of Kells without his excursions into the woods because the trips help him grow as an artist. Even his encounters with the darkness are illustrated with illumination designs, but there is a stark contrast between dark and light. Think of the serpent monster that Brandon must fight. The path of the snake is jagged and is opposed by the circle Brandon draws, similar to the contrast we have seen, however this scene lacks the golden light of illuminations, indicating to the viewer it is not the same. Illumination designs are everywhere within this movie. The Book of Kells is wonderful film that brings to life the world of illuminations, and creates a story for a treasured manuscript.