I found today’s exercise to be extremely enjoyable, but it was also a great hands on exercise to review what we have been learning so far in class. I feel like having the opportunity to actually complete something after we have learned about it helped put into perspective what the illuminators did in the Middle Ages. When I sat down and decided that I was going to create a C, I also thought about what story I was going to tell through my illumination. A historiated letter is more than just a decorated letter in a book, but it also offers a picture that describes a scene. So I decided to based my image off of my name and my story. I included fragments from my family’s crest in the decoration, as well as a rose for my middle name. As I was channeling my inner patron/illuminator, I understood how these illuminators would depict what was important to the patrons. It was a fun exercise that really opened my eyes up to the world of illuminating from making the paints to telling a story through images.
What was your major takeaway from this experience, and what inspired your illumination?
Caroline, like you, I also thought the hands-on experience was a great addition to what we have been doing in class. My takeaway from this workshop was definitely similar to yours, that the illuminators had to work really hard to create books for the patrons. From grinding and mixing the paint, to crafting the intricate drawings, the artists had their work cut out for them. The illuminators that created the manuscripts we have viewed in class probably had lots of training and practice on top of natural talent.
I hope to see your letter when it’s done! The story behind the things that you chose to include in it is beautiful. I started making an N for my name, but for some reason I wasn’t really inspired. So I erased it and made a T for my friend’s name. He is a really big fan of soccer so I added elements of the logo of his favorite soccer team in my illumination. The logo accidentally ended up making a C for his surname which was a pleasant surprise. I’ve become really invested in this illumination and have spent a lot of time working on it outside class. I realized through this process how important inspiration is. I don’t mind working on a piece of art for days, but I couldn’t do it if I wasn’t inspired. This made me think about what a difficult job being an illuminator and having a patron tell you what to draw must have been. It must have been difficult for the illuminators to get through the less inspired illuminations.