The Art of Illuminating As Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times (page 4/13)

Decorative initial letter “A” from 11th century.

This decorative capital letter A features Celtic knotwork, red, green and blue, with a peach fill. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “E” from 11th century.

A letter E in a late uncial tradition, complete with drolleries, or humorous creatures, in the vines in the counters, the spaces nside the letter. This E is in red, with a peach light orange filling, on a blue, red and green background. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “J” from 11th century.

This decorative capital letter J could be used for either “I” or “J”—in either case, with the tail probably going off into the margin. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “Q” from 11th century.

A beautiful rich red letter Q on a deep blue, red and green background, with a delicate peach fill. This is reproduced (in the book) from an 11th century hand-illuminated manuscript. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “X” from 11th century.

A beautiful rich red letter X on a deep blue background, with a delicate peach fill. This is reproduced (in the book) from an 11th century hand-illuminated manuscript, along with [...] [more...]

Decorative initial letter “J” from 11th century.

This decorative capital letter J features Celtic knotwork, with vine-leaves and knots in the tail, and could be used for either “I” or “J”—in either [...] [more...]

Decorative initial letter “D” from 11th century.

This decorative capital letter D features Celtic knotwork, vine-leaves and knots, red blue and green colours, and white dots perhaps representing stars; it was a drop cap; see the letter X for more information. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “S” from 11th century.

This decorative capital letter S features vine-leaves and knots, red blue and green colours, and white dots perhaps representing stars; it was a drop cap; see the letter X for more information. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “U” or “V” from 11th century.

A deep blue with a red and green background and heavy patterning around this Uncial letter U, which has a head like a creature and vines growing inside it, one of which appears to have a cat’s head. [more...]

Decorative initial letter “J” from 11th century.

A deep blue with a red and green background and heavy patterning around this Uncial letter J, whose tail is made of a dragon biting the lower corner of the vertical stem of the [...] [more...]

28.—XII. Century No. 1

Almost a complete gothic (blackletter or old english) alphabet; I have supplied some rather grotesque monstrosities for “K” and ”V” at the foot of the page. The description in the book is a little confusing, because the scroll-work letters are on following plates; these on this plate, for the [...] [more...]

Plate 37.—Thirteenth Century No. 1: Alphabet overview

This is an incomplete alphabet taken from a 13th century manuscript (I don’t know whether the book identifies the manuscript; I’ll look when I get home from this trip to Prague). [more...]