DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14715#0091
52 THE ART OF ILLUMINATION.
the manuscript itself; and as it thus appears to have occupied not less than
twenty years in writing and illuminating, we may with propriety consider it
as representing the costume of the latter part of the eleventh century. This
volume was purchased hy the trustees of the British Museum in 1840 of the
Comte de Survilliers (Joseph Buonaparte).
The style of the drawings in this manuscript is itself half Saracenic.
The elegance of the ornaments contrasts strongly with the unskilful rudeness
in the designs of men and animals, a circumstance which reminds us of the
repugnance among the Arabs to drawing men and living beings. It is in
many respects a valuable monument of art, and proves clearly the inter-
course which existed between the Moors and the Christians in Spain.
Throughout the volume the architecture of the buildings is altogether
Moorish: the walls covered with arabesque ornaments, and the remarkable
horse-shoe arches, appear on almost every page, and show the accuracy of
the term Saracenic adopted by architectural writers. The character of the
ornamental initial letters bears a close resemblance to that observed in many
of our Anglo-Saxon manuscripts of the tenth century, and the figures are
identical with those on the Bayeux tapestry.
A most interesting series of Spanish Illuminations is found in a volume
entitled, " Les Lois d'Alfonse, Roi de Castile,"* purchased at the sale of the
late Lord Stuart de Rothsay, in 1855.
Besides numerous capital letters enclosing groups of figures, there are
sixteen miniature pictures within square frames, at the heads of various
chapters. The first represents the King on his throne surrounded by the
different orders of the state. The other miniatures are illustrations of the
more important enactments, and appear under rubricated headings. These
pictures are remarkable for the wonderful delicacy of their outlines, more par-
ticularly with regard to the heads of the figures, in which, in almost invisible
lines, the greatest truthfulness of expression is preserved. The draperies
are very graceful, and the arrangement of the groups and distribution of the
actors are both skilful and natural, while the action of the different figures is
full of energy in the more exciting scenes, and of quiet propriety in those of
a religious character.
The distinctive difference between these illuminations and those of other
countries of Europe at the same date, is due to the sombre heaviness of the
colouring employed on the former. This arises from black being freely
employed in shading the draperies, while indigo is used on the blue dresses,
and also on the shadows of the buildings, although ultramarine appears
throughout the volume for small capital letters. The purples are composed
* Additional MS. 20,787.
the manuscript itself; and as it thus appears to have occupied not less than
twenty years in writing and illuminating, we may with propriety consider it
as representing the costume of the latter part of the eleventh century. This
volume was purchased hy the trustees of the British Museum in 1840 of the
Comte de Survilliers (Joseph Buonaparte).
The style of the drawings in this manuscript is itself half Saracenic.
The elegance of the ornaments contrasts strongly with the unskilful rudeness
in the designs of men and animals, a circumstance which reminds us of the
repugnance among the Arabs to drawing men and living beings. It is in
many respects a valuable monument of art, and proves clearly the inter-
course which existed between the Moors and the Christians in Spain.
Throughout the volume the architecture of the buildings is altogether
Moorish: the walls covered with arabesque ornaments, and the remarkable
horse-shoe arches, appear on almost every page, and show the accuracy of
the term Saracenic adopted by architectural writers. The character of the
ornamental initial letters bears a close resemblance to that observed in many
of our Anglo-Saxon manuscripts of the tenth century, and the figures are
identical with those on the Bayeux tapestry.
A most interesting series of Spanish Illuminations is found in a volume
entitled, " Les Lois d'Alfonse, Roi de Castile,"* purchased at the sale of the
late Lord Stuart de Rothsay, in 1855.
Besides numerous capital letters enclosing groups of figures, there are
sixteen miniature pictures within square frames, at the heads of various
chapters. The first represents the King on his throne surrounded by the
different orders of the state. The other miniatures are illustrations of the
more important enactments, and appear under rubricated headings. These
pictures are remarkable for the wonderful delicacy of their outlines, more par-
ticularly with regard to the heads of the figures, in which, in almost invisible
lines, the greatest truthfulness of expression is preserved. The draperies
are very graceful, and the arrangement of the groups and distribution of the
actors are both skilful and natural, while the action of the different figures is
full of energy in the more exciting scenes, and of quiet propriety in those of
a religious character.
The distinctive difference between these illuminations and those of other
countries of Europe at the same date, is due to the sombre heaviness of the
colouring employed on the former. This arises from black being freely
employed in shading the draperies, while indigo is used on the blue dresses,
and also on the shadows of the buildings, although ultramarine appears
throughout the volume for small capital letters. The purples are composed
* Additional MS. 20,787.