Illuminated Manuscripts: Secrets of Medieval Life

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

Medieval illuminators embellished every type of text including prayer books, history books and romances, frequently including exuberant, sometimes profane, often humorous images in the margins. For the modern viewer, their continuing ability to delight is enhanced by the insight into every sector of medieval society contained within their pages.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

No previous knowledge required.

Content of Course

1. Scribes and illuminators, the rise of the layman (and woman).

2. Medieval bestseller, Books of Hours.

3. Medieval feminism, Christine de Pisan.

4. Nobles and peasants, a window on court and countryside.

5. Knights and their ladies, courtly love in medieval manuscripts.

6. Good dog, canines and other animals in secular and religious art.

7. Books for everyone, the development of ‘mass production’.

8. Medieval politics, images as propaganda.

9. Identity and the princely virtue of magnificence, the role of manuscripts.

10. The printing press and the manuscript at the end of the fifteenth century.

Teaching method(s)

Classroom teaching, PowerPoint presentation and class discussion.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of illuminated medieval manuscripts and their historical context;
Analyse the roles of artists and patrons in producing illuminated manuscripts;
Engage critically with the sources and place alongside other extant evidence.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

Cazelles, Raymond and Rathofer, Johannes, 1988. Illuminations of Heaven and Earth: the Glories of the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berri. New York: Abrams.
De Hamel, Christopher, 1994. A History of Illuminated Manuscripts. London: Phaidon.
Kren, Thomas and McKendrick, Scott, 2003. The Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe. Los Angeles CA: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Class Handouts

Handouts will be provided.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.