Carol Belanger Grafton - Illuminated Initials in Full Color: 548 Designs

PUBLISHERS NOTE

HOUGH the practice of decorating manuscripts is as old as writing itself, the European tradition of illuminating texts with vibrant colors and precious metals such as gold and silver may not have originated before the establishment of the Byzantine Empire; in its eastern location it was open to influences from such earlier cultures as Egypt and Persia. The Byzantine style spread westward throughout Europe. By the Middle Ages, the illuminated manuscripts of Europe were unsurpassed in beauty.

For this collection, Carol Belanger Grafton has selected and arranged 548 illuminated initials, each reflecting the richness and diversity of this art form. Carefully reproduced from nineteenth-century sources, including Henry Noel Humphreys The Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages, Wyatts The Art of Illumination and Guillots Ornementation des Manuscrits au Moyen ge, these letters are representative of the artistry found in such medieval works as the Book of Kells, the Lindisfarne Gospels, prayer books, psalters, books of hours and other religious and secular texts. The initials themselves almost disappear in the intricate ornamentation of intertwining foliage patterns, fantastic animal imagery and even human figures. Once used simply to mark important textual breaks, these letters now constitute works of art unto themselves. The initials alphabetically arranged come in a variety of sizes, making Illuminated Initials in Full Color an invaluable resource.