Illuminated manuscripts

The English art in the Middle Ages consisted mainly in the production
of illuminated manuscript which, a manuscript in which the text is
supplemented by the addition of decoration.
Illuminated manuscripts were one king of English painting together
with murals painted in the walls of churches and monasteries, that
characterized the English art of the middle ages before the
introduction of the printing press. There are many different types of
illuminated manuscripts such as decorated initials at the beginning of
paragraphs, borders or illustration on margins, and miniature
illustrations in whole pages. Manuscripts were most of the times
decorated with gold or silver. Most medieval manuscripts, illuminated
or not, were written on parchment, most commonly of calf, sheep, or
goat skin, but most manuscripts important enough to illuminate were
written on vellum. Then, illuminated manuscripts were also painted in
papyrus. As regards the technique, illuminated manuscripts were
painted in a flat composition with the predominance of curvilinear
designs.
Most manuscripts are of a religious nature. They were produced
mainly in monasteries in order to teach religion since most people
were illiterate and the monopoly of education was in the hands of the
church. However, especially from the 13th century onward, an
increasing number of secular texts were illuminated, usually
produced at court and telling the story of the country, and special
event in history and the life of kings. Illuminations were also found in
musical texts. Other illuminated manuscripts were present
in
calendars illustrating the months.
Early Anglo-Saxon manuscript illumination forms part of insular art, a
combination of influences from Mediterranean, Celtic and Germanic
styles. After the Norman Conquest, French with its
Romanesque
features became predominant in English illumination
An example of an illuminated manuscript is The Lindisfarne Gospels
of around 700-715 that was made at the monastery on Holy Island. Its
pages blend native Celtic and Anglo-Saxon elements with Roman,
Coptic and Eastern traditions to create an artistic expression of the
cultural melting pot that was Northumbria in the eighth century.
During the Norman Period, illuminations were deeply influenced by
the French culture. A further Illuminated manuscript is present on the
prologue to 'The Canterbury Tales' by Geoffrey Chaucer (1380s).
What is more, The Royal collection represents the only intact
medieval and Renaissance English royal manuscript collection that is
an important resource for English medieval history and art history.