Jim Brisebois

Medieval Coloring Book: Manuscript Art Jim Brisebois

This coloring book contains 90 images from the medieval period. Every image is authentic from the 10 to 13 Century. Astrology is a theme throughout the coloring book. The images from the Middle East are astronomical. They represent star maps. The images from Britain (primarily) are the astrological signs and symbols that you may be more familiar with. (Wikipedia) In the coloring book are a number of letters of the alphabet that served as Rubrics. When you look at a vellum page you will likely notice a square in the upper left corner of the script. The square will likely be about six rows of text deep. Inside the square is the rubric. It will be a letter from the alphabet brilliantly re-designed to start the first word of text on the page. There are some letters in this book but you are on your own in determining what the letter is. You will have fun. Many manuscripts have a margin on both sides and top and bottom. The illustrator will have designed the marginalia to fill the margin between spine and text, Or the illustrator may wrap the marginalia completely around the text. The book has many images taken from marginalia. But they are considerably larger than in the manuscript. Google the Luttrell Psalter and be astounded. You notice a theme of what I call Fantasticals in the coloring book. Example, the image of someone with their face on their torso. Called a Blemya. Or the image of a guy on a cell phone from the Luttrell Psalter. Cell phone in the 12th century? You decide. If you like hybrids half human half horse, or dragons, they are in the book. If you like detail at a smaller scale Google - Book of Kells. In the 8th century, a group of Irish monks produced a stunning, illuminated manuscript. The Book Of Kells is considered by many to be the finest illuminated manuscript there is. Illuminated means that Gold was used in the illustration. There are varying degrees of difficulty in this coloring book. Patience will conquer all.