Fülszöveg
•i ii . 1
h l-
I
u
About this book
In illuminated manuscripts of every period a
special place of honour was reserved for the decorated
letter or initial, which brought the page to life
with rich and vibrant colour. Rose-like
motifs inspired by Byzantine floral ornamentation
were frequently used, and animals of every sort
also played an important part in the adornment
of Romanesque initials. Particularly in French
manuscripts, initials were sometimes composed
entirely of animals. Artists tended to employ
flexible animal forms such as the dragon, which could
be adapted to many different letters, and in
French and English manuscripts elegantly drawn
lions, peacocks, dogs and other creatures may be found.
In time, the use of human forms became
more popular, until initials evolved into marvels of
miniature painting. J. J. G. Alexander, of the
University of Manchester, has selected many of the most
beautiful and intriguing letters from a
wide range of...
Tovább
Fülszöveg
•i ii . 1
h l-
I
u
About this book
In illuminated manuscripts of every period a
special place of honour was reserved for the decorated
letter or initial, which brought the page to life
with rich and vibrant colour. Rose-like
motifs inspired by Byzantine floral ornamentation
were frequently used, and animals of every sort
also played an important part in the adornment
of Romanesque initials. Particularly in French
manuscripts, initials were sometimes composed
entirely of animals. Artists tended to employ
flexible animal forms such as the dragon, which could
be adapted to many different letters, and in
French and English manuscripts elegantly drawn
lions, peacocks, dogs and other creatures may be found.
In time, the use of human forms became
more popular, until initials evolved into marvels of
miniature painting. J. J. G. Alexander, of the
University of Manchester, has selected many of the most
beautiful and intriguing letters from a
wide range of manuscripts, and in his commentary
he places each initial in its appropriate historical
and aesthetic context.
With JO illustrations, ?!.a in colour plus gold
Vissza