Visits to Special Collections

Our visits to special collections were the first time I had actually seen medieval manuscripts and early print books in person, and I would never have judged them to be as intricately detailed as some of them really are. I was especially taken aback by the facsimiles with completely decorated pages adorned with miniatures, which is to say nothing of the absolutely stellar and consistent handwriting done by the scribes. It made me wonder weather books in the medieval period ever actually served a purely functional purpose, or whether they were equal parts status symbols and artistic creations.

I think back to readings that talked about the unaffordability of books for the general public and the illustration of St. Jerome’s study, which held only a few books, but still constituted a considerable collection. On the whole, it seems that when books were commissioned, they were made as beautifully as possible on high quality materials with the intention that they would remain in service for centuries.

The featured image above this post is St. Jerome (and the Lion) at his workplace. “Saint Jerome in His Study by Colantonio.” Fine Art America. Accessed April 22, 2022. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/saint-jerome-in-his-study-colantonio-.html.