Medieval Manuscripts
Overview
Sources for visual reference for medieval times and for the visual style of medieval manuscripts.
Sources
Eadwine Psalter — MS M.521, c. 1155-60, Canterbury, England
- Highly stylized.
- Stories from the Gospels.
- Some livestock, pigs, architecture.
- Eadwine Psalter picture reference (Photo Station)
- Leaf from Eadwine Psalter source (Morgan Library)
Winchester Bible — MS M.619, c. 1160-80, Winchester, England
- Highly rendered.
- Stylized trees
- David & Goliath
- Knights, horses w/saddles & bridles
- Clouds
- Scenes from the Life of David, Leaf from the Winchester Bible (Morgan Library)
Morgan Bible — MS M.638, 1240's, Paris, France
- aka The Crusader Bible
- Highly rendered
- Scenes from Genesis
- Strange stylized trees
- Harvesting
- Creation
- Adam and Eve
- Animals (Noah's ark)
- Morgan Bible picture reference (Photo Station)
- Morgan Bible source (Morgan Library)
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MS M.638 f. 1r detail
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MS M.638 f. 2v detail
Chronicle of John of Worcester — MS. 157, c. 1140, England
- highly stylized
- 2 pages
- laborers, kings, clergy
- boats, water
- King Henry I's dream
- Crucifixion of Christ
- Worcester Chronicle picture reference (Photo Station)
- Worcester World Chronicle source (Oxford University)
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p. 77b Crucifixion of Christ
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p. 383 King Henry I's dream
Codex Manesse — Cod. Pal. germ. 848, 1300-1340, Zurich
- Between stylized and rendered
- Secular illustrations of poets arranged by rank: kings, dukes, counts, down to commoners
- Curly hair, head gear: fillets, barbettes, crowns, and some fancy hats
- Animals, birds, horses
- Hunting: hounds, stags, boars, bears
- Boats
- Not a whole lot of trees or plants, but there are repeated decorative scrolling floral motifs
Links
- Codex Manesse picture reference (Photo Station)
- Codex Manesse source (Heidelberg University Library)
- Codex Manesse info (Wikipedia)
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f. 14v
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f. 73r
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f. 113v
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f. 228r
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f. 342v
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f. 395r
Heidelberger Sachsenspiegel — Cod. Pal. germ. 164, c. 1295-1371, Germany
- Highly stylized/naive
- Saxon law, (literaly "Saxon Mirror", or roughly "Survey of Saxon Law")
- Secular themes
- Commoners, livestock, crops, labor
Links
- Heidelberger Sachsenspiegel picutre refernece (Photo Station)
- Heidelberger Sachsenspiegel source (University of Heidelberg library)
- Heidelberger Sachsenspiegel nfo (Wikipedia)
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f. 1v
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f. 2r
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f. 5v
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f. 5v
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f. 6r
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f. 8r
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f. 8r
Dresden Sachsenspiegel — Mscr. Dresden M.32, 1295-1371, Germany
- Quality is a little more murky than the Heidelberg manuscript.
- More refined drawings.
Links
- Sachsenspiegel picture reference (Photo Station)
- Sachsenspiegel source (University of Dresden library)
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f. 5r
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f. 6r
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f. 6r
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f. 86r
Épître d'Othéa — Cod. Bodmer 49, 1460, Bourgogne/Burgundy, France
- Highly rendered
- aka The Book of Hector, The Book of Knighthood
- Costumes
- Nobility, royalty, knights fighting in suits of armor
- Romantic couples
- Monsters, demons, gates of hell
- Animals, birds, some hunting, wild boars, stags
- Landscapes, architecture, interiors and exteriors, castles, walled cities
- Épître d'Othéa picture reference (Photo Station)
- Épître d'Othéa source (E-Codices)
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f. 17r monster, maiden, and knight
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f. 80r rabbits in a field
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f. 98r wild boar
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f. 105v mouth of hell
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f. 114r couple
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f. 137v battle
Paradin, Claude: Devises Heroïques — SM815, 1551, Lyons, France
Earliest example of a collection of the devices worn by French aristocracy, a practice started in the late 15th Century.
- Woodcuts
- Alchemical, mystical, surreal vibe
- Dates later than medieval times
- Devises Heroïques picture reference (Photo Station)
- Devises Heroïques source (Glasgow University)
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p. 62 QUÒ TENDIS? Where are you going?
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p. 67 IN UTRUNQUE PARATUS. Ready to both.
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p. 80 VEL IN ARA. And that on the holy altar.
