具体描述
Robert G. Calkins is Professor of History of Art at Cornell University. He has worked for nearly forty years on medieval manuscript illumination. This volume brings together eighteen of his papers, concentrating on late medieval manuscript illumination. The first section has seven studies examining the process of compiling an illuminated manuscript, as revealed by indications in the manuscripts themselves. The following section deals with the sequence and emphasis of text and image in the manuscripts. A final group offers detailed interpretations of a number of important later manuscripts. Contents: Introduction I Workshop Practices revealed by Codicology: The Brussels Hours Reevaluated An Italian in Paris: The Master of the Brussels Initials and His Participation in the French Book Industry Stages of Execution: Procedures of Illumination as Revealed in an Unfinished Book of Hours Traditions of Dutch Illumination Distribution of Labor -The Illuminators of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves and their Workshop Additional Lacunae in the Lambeth Bible Gerard Horenbout and His Associates: Illuminating Activities in Ghent 1480-1521 II. Sequence and Emphasis: Microforms and the Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Pictorial Emphasis in Early Biblical Manuscripts Decorative Sequence and Liturgical Crescendo in the Drogo Sacramentary Narrative in Image and Text in Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts III. Interpretations: The Master of the Franciscan Breviary Parallels between Incunabula and Manuscripts from the Circle of the Master of Catherine of Cleves The Question of the Origin of the Master of Catherine of Cleves Sacred Image and Illusion in Late Flemish Manuscripts Secular Objects and Their implications in Early Netherlandish Painting Piero de' Crescenzi and the Medieval Garden The Cathedral as Text Index
Studies in the Late Medieval Illumination and Art A Comprehensive Examination of Artistic Production and Cultural Exchange in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries This volume presents a rigorous and multifaceted exploration of the visual culture that defined the twilight centuries of the European Middle Ages, specifically focusing on the crucial developments in manuscript illumination, panel painting, and related artistic practices between approximately 1300 and 1500. Eschewing a purely chronological survey, this collection of essays delves into specific thematic and regional investigations, employing both traditional connoisseurship and emerging material science to illuminate the complex tapestry of artistic creation during this transformative era. Part I: The Manuscript Revolution and the Shifting Patronage Landscape The opening section examines the dynamic relationship between the burgeoning demand for personalized devotional literature and the evolution of the illuminated book. We move beyond simplistic notions of artistic decline to analyze the sophisticated artistic solutions developed by workshops in Paris, Bruges, and the Rhine Valley to meet the demands of a newly wealthy merchant class and the increasingly refined aristocratic clientele. A cornerstone essay focuses on the “The Changing Iconography of the Heures Royales in the Franco-Flemish Sphere.” This analysis contrasts the monumental, courtly styles of earlier Parisian ateliers with the intimate, meticulously detailed realism emerging from centers like Ghent and Tours in the early fifteenth century. We scrutinize the influence of emerging Netherlandish panel painters—such as Jan van Eyck—on the techniques of manuscript illustration, noting the adoption of oil-based pigments, heightened atmospheric perspective, and a nuanced psychological portrayal of sacred figures. Attention is paid to the subtle shifts in narrative focus, moving from overtly didactic religious instruction towards affective piety and private contemplation, reflected directly in the scale and detail of miniature painting. Another chapter provides a detailed paleographical and artistic analysis of “Vernacular Texts and Urban Literacy: Illumination in the Northern Italian Communes.” Here, the focus shifts geographically to Florence, Siena, and Bologna, where the production of vernacular histories, poetry, and sumptuary texts often employed illumination techniques distinct from the French and Burgundian traditions. The chapter explores the integration of classical motifs—often filtered through the proto-Renaissance architecture and sculpture visible in the urban centers—into the borders and initial letters of these secular and semi-secular volumes. The economic structure of these workshops, often operating in close proximity to, but distinct from, the major fresco painters, is also reconstructed through archival evidence. Further inquiry is dedicated to “The Materiality of Light: Pigments, Parchment, and the Illusion of Space.” This technical study utilizes scientific analysis (XRF, Raman spectroscopy) to identify the provenance and application of pigments such as ultramarine, vermilion, and complex mixed greens in selected manuscripts from the period spanning 1350 to 1480. The goal is not merely identification, but understanding how the physical properties of these materials contributed to the overarching aesthetic goals—specifically, how gold leaf application techniques changed from thick, textured ground applications to thinly burnished surfaces designed to catch and refract light, mimicking the nascent naturalism seen elsewhere in painting. Part II: Artistic Exchange, Cultural Transfer, and Regional Styles This section broadens the scope to examine the flow of artistic ideas across geographical and political boundaries, demonstrating that the Late Medieval period was characterized by intense cross-pollination rather than isolated development. The essay “The Iberian Peninsula as a Crossroads: Moorish Influence and the Style of the Books of Hours of the Trastámara Court” investigates the persistence and transformation of Hispano-Moresque design elements—particularly intricate geometric patterns, stylized vegetal motifs, and specific arabesque borders—within Christian liturgical manuscripts produced in Castile and Aragon during the fifteenth century. It argues that these elements were not merely decorative borrowings but were integrated into the visual language of courtly display, signaling cosmopolitanism and historical continuity. A lengthy investigation is devoted to “The ‘International Gothic’ Reassessed: From Prague to Avignon.” This chapter critically examines the utility of the term “International Gothic Style,” suggesting that it often obscures the distinct regional characteristics evolving simultaneously under the patronage of figures like Charles IV in Bohemia and the Papacy in Avignon. Through a comparative study of manuscript marginalia and altarpieces, the essay maps the stylistic dissemination of elegant, attenuated figural forms and pastel color palettes, emphasizing the role of itinerant artists and diplomatic exchanges in transmitting these aesthetic preferences. Furthermore, the volume includes an examination of “The Limits of Illumination: Manuscript Influence on Stained Glass and Tapestry Design in Burgundy.” By analyzing preparatory drawings (where available) and comparing extant visual parallels, this chapter explores how the miniaturist’s mastery of line, color blocking, and narrative compression translated into the larger, more industrial art forms patronized by the Dukes of Burgundy. This section highlights instances where the tapestry workshop dictated the aesthetic of the accompanying manuscript, reversing the traditional hierarchy of influence. Part III: The Human Figure, Narrative Detail, and the Dawn of Observation The final section concentrates on the evolving depiction of the human form, gesture, and the depiction of the mundane world as it intersects with the sacred narrative—a key precursor to Renaissance humanism. One core study focuses on “Emotions Made Visible: The Rise of Affective Realism in Fifteenth-Century Narrative Miniatures.” This analysis tracks the development of facial expression, examining how artists moved away from standardized liturgical visages toward individualized portrayals of suffering, contemplation, and joy. Specific attention is given to the use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro) on drapery and skin tones to enhance emotional immediacy, drawing direct comparisons with contemporary panel paintings concerning the rendering of texture (velvet, fur, metal). A complementary essay, “The Marginalia as Microcosm: Domestic Life and the Unofficial Narrative,” delves into the often-overlooked borders, drolleries, and marginal vignettes. It argues that these elements serve as crucial historical documents, providing unparalleled insight into the clothing, agricultural practices, domestic architecture, and even popular pastimes of the period, often operating as a secular counter-narrative to the main devotional text. The essay differentiates between standardized marginal motifs and those seemingly spontaneous, individualized observations characteristic of certain workshops. In conclusion, this volume asserts that the late medieval illumination and art represent a period not of decay, but of intense artistic experimentation and integration. The artists working in these fields—whether illuminating a Psalter in Florence or designing a tapestry for the Burgundian court—were crucial innovators who synthesized long-standing traditions with new observational techniques, effectively setting the stage for the artistic revolutions that followed. The detailed analysis presented here aims to re-establish the significance of these often-understudied visual forms within the broader context of European art history.
