Not many of us have ever held a real illuminated manuscript in our hands or even seen one close up. Even so, anybody who has seen illustrations of them in books, on TV or behind glass in museums can appreciate their outstanding beauty as well as the skill and artistry of the men who made them.

Many of these manuscripts feature incredibly intricate designs and beautifully drawn pictures as well as the most neat and regular script.

How did the people who executed these works of art do it? We probably have an image of solitary monks slaving away on the manuscripts purely for the greater glory of God but is that a true picture?

The answers to these questions can be found in this new book, Illuminated Manuscripts and Their Makers by Rowan Watson who works in the National Library with the Victoria and Albert Museum. Additionally he is working on a catalogue of the V&A's illuminated manuscripts as well as teaching an MA (Master of Arts) course on the History of the Book at the Institute of English Studies, part of the University of London.

Rowan Watson writes about the scribes and book dealers and the ways they worked. For example, did you realise that one scribe did not necessarily do all the work on one manuscript? In fact there were people who specialised in different aspects like the lettering, initials, borders and illustrations.

Another aspect the author discusses is the mass production of medieval books. I am sure that most people are amazed at the idea, I know I was. In fact this did occur due to the increased demand for Bibles, Books of Hours and other medieval scripts.

Rowan Watson doesn't confine himself to the story of medieval illuminted manuscripts, he also covers how the survived even after the invention of the printing press and the revival of the art in the 19th century.

Towards the end of the book there is a whole chapter devoted to 25 manuscripts from the V&A's collection. Each of them has a full page illustration and a good description and information on its history.

This book is beautifully illustrated with colour pictures throughout. Additionally, Rowan Watson's enthusiasm for the subject shines through and he writes in a lively and interesting way.

Quick Facts
Title: Illuminated Manuscripts and Their Makers

Author: Rowan Watson

Publisher: V&A Publications

ISBN: 1851773851

Binding: Hardback

Publication Date: June 2003

Number of Pages: 144

Price: £30

All information relates to the UK edition.

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