The Artist/Illuminator

A true "illuminated" manuscript is one with pages "lighted" with gold. Gold leaf was made by hammering gold coins to thin sheets that were lighter than air. The gold leaf was applied to the vellum before the paintings were added because to make the gold reflect light it had to be burnished or rubbed with a smooth stone or even a hound's tooth. Vigorous burnishing could remove the paint from the page. The sections that the scribe left for miniatures, decorated letters and marginalia were filled with ink drawings by the artist. The areas to be illuminated were first painted with gesso then sheets of gold leaf were placed over the sticky, wet substance. The gold leaf adhered only to the wet gesso. When the gesso dried, the remaining gold was carefully removed with a soft brush or a feather. It was then burnished to a shine.

The artist then painted small pictures, or miniatures, plus marginalia and capital letters with elaborate and intricate designs that had practical functions. The decorated letters announced the beginning of a new section or paragraph while the miniatures illustrated the text. This was important because many of the medieval people who owned manuscripts were barely able to read.

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The Parchmenter | The Stationer or Bookseller I | The Apothecary | The Scribe | Scripts | The Artist/Illuminator | The Stationer or Bookseller II | Bibliography