Manuscript Illumination was one of the most sumptuous and important art forms in the Middle Ages. Be ...

---

Manuscript Illumination was one of the most sumptuous and important art forms in the Middle Ages. Before the invention of the printing press in 1453, books largely had to be written, painted, and illuminated by hand. Because the Church controlled much of the economy of Europe, resources were lavished on texts and the books themselves were so important and famous they became relics in their own right. Vellum was an expensive material used for the pages and made of expertly treated animal skins. The painted volumes were often made by monks, who spent years medidating in prayer as they created the ornate details and patterns of books like The Lindisfarne Gospels and The Book of Kells. DIRECTIONS: This comparison asks you to consider two manuscript paintings of St. Matthew, and to compare their styles. The Saint Matthew of the Coronation Gospels was commissioned by the royal court of Aachen, descended from Charlemagne, and a St. Matthew page from the Ebbo Gospel. Use the comparison images to write a 150+ word essay consideing the following topics: 1. How is line used differently in each manuscript illumination? 2. Which version of St. Matthew do you find more classical, and why? 3. Pick three adjectives to describe each manuscript illumination.