I really enjoyed our scriptorium workshop on Wednesday. It was great to be immersed in a creative/artistic project for a full class period and, of course, having coffee at 8:30 AM was very much appreciated. In my opinion, it’s always beneficial for class material to transcend readings and verbal discussion alone; working hands-on with the subjects we study in class creates a deeper understanding and appreciation for the material. Especially when dealing with historical material—in this case, medieval illuminated manuscripts—it’s easy to feel that the material comes from a world so distant and intangible that it sometimes begins to feel far less relevant than the aspects of contemporary culture that surround us. The hour and fifteen minutes flew by for me, and I completed far less of my illuminated letter than I’d expected. This experience helped me to understand the reverence for illumination depicted in The Secret of Kells. Illuminating is tedious—and my experience, using pre-packaged water color paints, gold leaf, brushes and pens, didn’t even include the complex and meticulous process of making paints from natural materials and using real, old-fashioned gold leaf. After weeks of viewing many, many illuminated manuscripts, which at times almost seemed to blend together, this hands-on workshop restored my initial appreciation for illumination and manuscripts.
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I have read a few of the reflections on the scriptorium (and written one myself) and it seems as though the sentiments are generally the same. In fact, my own post alludes to many of the same things you have mentioned here. The most common word used in the posts about our hands-on experience with illumination was “appreciation.” Certainly, experiencing the difficulty of creating a carefully detailed letter allows us to appreciate what the miniaturists like those depicted in The Secret of Kells and My Name is Red have done. I have enjoyed learning about illumination, so actually doing it was an interesting experience that gave some perspective. I think your final point here is very interesting. You mention that the workshop “restored [your] initial appreciation” for the manuscripts we have looked at. I definitely agree that after weeks of looking at manuscripts, a bit of my initial awe had worn off. After attempting a letter, however, I was reminded just how impressive the works of art within these ancient manuscripts is.