What is an illumination?
- An illumination is a decoration of manuscripts and books with
colored, gilded pictures, decorated initials, and ornamental
borders.
- Done as both ink outlines and color drawings. Now called Gothic stylings.
- Illuminating is the art of decorating books with bright
colors and precious metals so they seem to glow
- Many illuminations were miniature paintings or drawings
- The first letter on many pages was a large illumination of the
letter
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Characteristics of Illuminations:
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, people liked to use
illustrations of fruit, flowers, and birds in their artwork
Illuminations were often used to frame documents Jewels were sometimes
embedded into the artwork
- Drolleries were amusing human or animal figures that were often
painted into the margins and borders of illuminations.
- Many artists worked with natural animal, mineral, and vegetable
mediums in their paint Especially prized to illuminators was a
brilliant shade of blue made from lapis-lazulite (a precious gem)
- Illuminators used real gold and silver in their decorations
Illuminations were often written on parchment or vellum (The finest
kind of parchment available) Traditional high color and gold was
often used in illuminations
- Celtic designs that consisted of Interlacing patterns, counter
pointed by actual animal motifs.
- One common feature of illuminations
were large initial letters decorated with foliage, human figures,
and scenery
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