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The Book of Kells

© Suzanne Hill

Introduction

In researching my previous article on illuminated manuscripts, I found so much interesting information that I have expanded the topic. In this article I will discuss the Book of Kells--one of the masterpieces of medieval manuscripts. I will also briefly cover two other masterpieces from the Middle Ages: The Lindisfarne Gospels and Les Très Riches Heures.

First I'll review basic information about illuminated manuscripts.

Materials

The surface for painting, and the material from which the books were constructed, was vellum, specially treated animal skin, which was smoother and stronger than the papyrus that had been used previously.

The medium used was egg white tempera. Paints for illumination were made from pigments of earth substances, natural deposits of metals (for orange, red, and brown) or from stones. The pigments were ground to a powder, dissolved in water to which a binding material was added, such as egg white or glue, and fixed to the parchment. Ultramarine, the most expensive pigment during the Middle Ages, was imported from Afghanistan, elaborately prepared by the Arabs, and sold at extremely high prices. Folium (shades of blue) also had to be imported but was very much cheaper.

Gilt, burnished to a high luster, was often used and gives the illuminated manuscripts their name, as the gold gives an appearance of being "lit up." Gold leaf was made by hammering gold sheets down to the thickness of a cobweb and then fixing it to the parchment with a binder such as animal gelatin, honey, or sugar. The illuminator burnished the gold with an animal tooth and often tooled geometric or floral designs on it. The artists embellished the manuscripts with ink outline drawings and full color paintings.

Most common uses for illuminated manuscripts

1. To reproduce religious books, bibles, and gospels.

2. As a Psalter, also called the Book of Psalms, which is a collection of 150 poems or songs from the Old Testament. The Psalms are a special part of the Old Testament that reveal people's feelings when faced with both the joys and sorrows of everyday life: hymns praising God and prayers to God in times of trouble.

3. A Book of Hours is a prayer book used by laymen for private devotion, containing prayers or meditations appropriate to certain hours of the day, days of the week, months or seasons.

4. A Bestiary is a collection of descriptions and illustrations of all sorts of animals, both real and imaginary, that often include an accompanying moral.