Publisher's Synopsis
Incandescent with illustrations, a history of Britain as told through a remarkable collection of illuminated manuscripts-at once chronicles of their time and works of art.
Illumino explores the history of medieval Britain through the biographies of twelve remarkable illuminated manuscripts and their creators. Each manuscript serves as a gateway into the lives of its makers and commissioners, and as a springboard into the era of its creation. Illuminated manuscripts are among the most intricate and fascinating forms of medieval evidence, blending literature, art, science, faith, and human thought with the materiality of their production. By undertaking the detective work needed to determine the nature of each project and the underlying human-interest stories, this book reveals their social, economic, and cultural contexts and charts the exchange of ideas and materials across time and space. Featuring over a hundred beautiful illustrations, this is a unique and accessible introduction to Britain's history as well as art and book history over a thousand years.
'A masterful exploration of medieval Britain through twelve extraordinary illuminated manuscripts, each a window into the intellectual, artistic and spiritual landscapes of its time. Few scholars know these books as intimately as Michelle P. Brown, who draws on her expertise as a trailblazing curator and leading researcher to enrich this book with insight into their materiality, craftsmanship and historical resonance. With characteristic erudition and clarity, Brown brings to life the people who commissioned, created and used these manuscripts, not only as textual artefacts but as objects of devotion, labour and cultural exchange. By weaving palaeography, codicology and historical narrative into a compelling whole, Illumino sheds light not only on these marvellous books, but on how these books have shaped the modern world.' Andrew Dunning, R. W. Hunt Curator of Medieval Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
