Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts

An eight-week course that will explore various aspects of medieval illuminated manuscripts until the advent of printing, and offer the opportunity to see at first hand items from the V&A’s extensive collection that are not usually on view to the public.

During the Middle Ages books written by hand, illuminated with gold and painted with costly pigments, were prized by ecclesiastical and lay patrons as the most desirable of possessions. Gerald of Wales, a twelfth-century chronicler, was so impressed by a manuscript he saw that he exclaimed it must have been “the work of an angel”. Such volumes are equally appreciated today. The materials and techniques used to produce them reveal much about the working methods of medieval craftsmen. Their texts and illustrations inform us about patterns of public worship, private devotion, intellectual pursuits and the everyday lives and leisure interests of the men and women who commissioned and used them.

Please note: numbers on this course will be strictly limited to 35, enabling students to split into smaller groups for certain sessions. Each session will be repeated to enable everyone to participate in each activity.