A Primer of the Art of Illumination for the Use of Beginners / With a rudimentary treatise on the art, practical directions for its exercise, and examples taken from illuminated mss.

by F. Delamotte

This part of the subject must not be entirely abandoned without a passing mention of what may, at first sight, appear hardly to form a legitimate department of the art, but which even a cursory examination of mediæval illuminated work will shew to have formed an integral and prominent feature in it, and to be therefore fairly reckoned as a distinct section of it. This is the Monogram[5] —the most ancient of all ornamentation used in Christendom. For on the walls of those catacombs, into which the persecuted Christians of the earlier centuries of the Church’s history at Rome descended to celebrate their devotions and bury their dead, and the long unknown treasures of which are still being brought to light, the same or nearly the same sacred monogram is frequently to be met with, as appears curiously twisted into the brilliant initiatory pages of the earlier illuminated books, and a poor imitation of which is still to be seen adorning the front of many a red velvet altar cloth in our English churches at this day. The use of the monogram, however, was far more extended than this. In mediæval times, almost every prince and great man had the initial letters of his name woven into a monogram or device, which appeared in his books, on his housings, on the badges of his domestics, in the architecture of his palace—everywhere, in short, where it could form a feature of ornament. Later on, the early printers each adopted one, and the practice has been thus gradually handed down to our days, when the use of them is becoming almost universal. It is a pretty and ingenious department of the art, but requires some study of good models in order to arrive at its principles, and prevent quaintness from degenerating into clumsiness or absurdity.

In furnishing the beginner with some clue to the best styles for study, there is considerable difficulty, arising from l’embarras des richesses. One of the best modern authorities on the art enumerates no less than nine successive styles, exclusive of the Italian, all of which, with a single exception, present distinct features of beauty; and the larger work, by the same author, presents three times that number of specimens. From such a mass of materials as this, elimination is not easy. Nevertheless, for all the purposes of this elementary work, it need only be necessary to enumerate four leading styles for study, leaving for any future and more advanced work the filling up of the interstices between these four, and the more expanded description of all.

The First may be referred to the earliest centuries of the introduction of the art into this country, perhaps from the 6th to the 9th; its leading characteristics, which are rather distinguished by quaintness than beauty, have been well described as ‘an artistic and ingenious disposition of interwoven threads, bands, or ribbons, of various colours, upon black or coloured grounds, varied by the introduction of extremely attenuated lizard-like reptiles, birds, and other animals, similarly treated.[6] The initials are frequently of enormous size, and extreme intricacy.’ A frequent peculiarity is the practice of surrounding all external outlines with rows of minute red dots.

The Second belongs to the 10th and 11th centuries, and has been already alluded to as the opus Anglicum. The general characteristics are, a border to the whole text, constructed of parallel stripes, or bars of gold, between and around which a style of foliage, in perfect harmony with the solidity of the framework, intertwines itself in a graceful and quite peculiar manner.[7]

The Third may be referred generally to the 14th century, when, as has been before remarked, the art reached its culminating point, as far as chasteness of design and elegance of execution were concerned. The period has been well denominated ‘a great artistic era, when the architecture, the painting, the goldsmith’s work, the elaborate productions in enamel, and the illuminator’s art, were all in beautiful harmony, being each founded on similar principles of design and composition.’ It is not easy to lay down any but a few leading characteristics, as the specimens are as varied in construction as they are in the style of their beauty. One leading feature however is, the profuse use of what are technically called ‘ivy leaves,’ as an accessory to borders and initials, and which, tastefully handled, produce very much the effect of filagree work;[8] miniatures and miniature scenes, coats of arms, &c., are introduced at the corners of the page, and at proper intervals along the frame border; tiny birds of gay plumage are perched here and there among the foliage; and the conventional acanthus begins to be associated with natural flowers, &c., leading the way to—

The Fourth style, or that in which richness and profuseness of decoration reached their culminating point. The end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries may claim this style of which—though as of the last, it may be truly said the varieties are countless—the leading characteristic is the solid border; by which is meant that the foliage, flowers, birds, animals, &c., which hitherto formed an open border with no background, are now as it were strewed about upon a carpet of gold, or of some good background colour, the effect being heightened by the introduction of shading to ‘throw up’ the objects pourtrayed.[9]

The Italian style of the 15th century to which alone reference will be here made, is characterised more or less by all the peculiar beauties of the third and fourth styles just described, but, as might have been expected, with a strong admixture of the classical element both in outline, foliage and general treatment; in fact, it may be described as consisting of these two styles cast in a classical mould.

There is one species of illumination chiefly applicable to initials, quite unique in its exquisite chasteness, for which we are indebted to Italy. It consists of interlacing branches, quite white, laid upon a parti-coloured floor, the effect being that a different colour appears through every adjoining interstice of the branches. The background is frequently lightened by being strewed over with white dots.

The Oriental style of illumination is principally characterised by a profuse use of filagree work and gold, and by the introduction of numerous exquisitely-finished miniatures and miniature pictures, in which it is not uncommon to find the faces drawn on tiny disks of ivory, and attached to the page in situ.