Illuminated Books: Their Makers and Owners (P00270)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : ACE-P-P00270

This course is designed as an introduction to Western European illuminated manuscripts made in England, France and neighbouring areas during the period between the 11th and 14th centuries. This is a very rich and formative phase in the history of the illuminated book. Seminar topics are designed to illustrate both the principal developments in illumination in this period and the range of different types of illuminated book. Book types examined will include the following: liturgical books, monastic library books, monastery bibles, lives of saints, glossed books, university books, private books of devotion (often made for the use of women), and picture books. The seminars are intended to raise questions. Why were these books made? What are their texts? Who used them and how? What were the purposes and meanings of the illuminations? How do the illuminations relate to the texts? Who made them - and where? How were they made? What were the purposes and meanings of the illuminations? We will examine monastic books and book-production and the growing importance of the laity both as owners and makers of illuminated books during this period. The books of this period also raise the question of literacy - who read them and how? Seminars will be held as far as possible in either the National Library of Scotland or Edinburgh University Library Special Collections, in order to make use of original manuscripts and of facsimiles of manuscripts. The course will also include a trip to another library with holdings of illuminated manuscripts of this period (at Durham or at Glasgow).

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History of Art, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

? Additional Class Information : Semester 1 or 2, Th at times to be arranged

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

This course is intended as an introduction to postgraduate research into Western European illuminated manuscripts of the Central Middle Ages. The examples are taken from England, France and neighbouring areas during the period between the 11th and 14th centuries. The seminars are designed to introduce students to the main developments in illumination in this period and to the range of different types of illuminated book. Students will learn through taking part in seminar discussions, through preparing seminar presentations and written work, and through reading. The seminars and written work are designed to encourage students to develop a critical awareness of current approaches to the questions of patronage, function, audience, ownership and production of illuminated books at this time, as well as issues of style, meaning (including the relationship between text and image) and literacy. Students are asked to consider the illustrations and decoration of manuscripts in relation to the texts and purposes of the books. They are also encouraged to make use of a full course bibliography and of bibliographies for individual seminars and to look beyond the bibliographies provided. We will work, as far as possible, with original manuscripts and with good facsimiles (printed and online). The seminars also provide students with the opportunity to learn about the handling, examining and description of medieval manuscripts in the original.

Assessment Information

Principal means of assessment is a 4,000 word essay. In addition each candidate's performance will be monitored through the presentation of seminar material.