THIRTEENTH-CENTURY ILLUMINATION
In the thirteenth century the style of decoration was more refined. Some of the most beautiful work in the whole history of illumination was produced in this century. Numerous examples abound, and these deserve very careful study. The ornamental border, which had practically disappeared in the twelfth century, gradually re-developed during this century; first in the form of a growth from the initial letter, it developed into a foliated border upon which small animals, birds, and quaint little figures were placed.
Some of the French MSS. of this period are particularly beautiful. Bibles are numerous, being often quite small in size. Some of these MSS. appear to be as perfect as if they had just been completed, the gold being still brilliant and the colours still retaining their freshness. All the MSS. of this period seem to follow a general scheme of decoration. For example, the opening page of Genesis is one of the most elaborate, being taken up with a series of miniatures representing the days of Creation; the Jesse tree was also represented at the opening of the Gospels.
In the latter half of this century diaper backgrounds were used a great deal in the miniatures, and in some cases burnished gold was used with patterns indented upon it.
A typical example of a thirteenth-century Bible is shown in the Bible of Robert de Bello, who was Abbot of St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, 1224–1253. This MS. is in the British Museum (Burney MS. 3). It is written in a minute hand and illuminated with figure initials and partial borders. The initial I of Genesis is quite characteristic of thirteenth-century work.
Another MS. in the British Museum, a Bible History, moralized, in Latin (Add. MS. 18719), is a good example of the outline drawing at the end of this century. This is a MS. of the French School.
Another fine French MS., of about 1300, also in the British Museum, is that of the Somme le Roi (Add. MS. 28162), which, with its bright colours and burnished gold, is a good example of the best French work of this period.
There are, of course, many other MSS. that might be detailed, these instanced here being merely typical of the general style of work produced in this century.