Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts: A Forgotten Art

8 masterpieces that keep the legacy of this craft alive...

Morgan Black Hours, 15th-century

In Lectures on Architecture and Painting (1853), John Ruskin writes:

The art of the Middle Ages is the foundation of all art — nor merely the foundation, but the root of it; that is to say, succeeding art is not merely built upon it, but was all comprehended in it, and is developed out of it.

Few things illustrate Ruskin’s words more vividly than illuminated medieval manuscripts. This forgotten art form, with its breathtaking detail and exquisite craftsmanship, casts a shadow far beyond the pages it once adorned.

Consider, for instance, the connection between John Everett Millais’s Mariana (1851) and The Annunciation from the Llangattock Hours (1450–1460):

Millais’s subject is Shakespeare’s Mariana, inspired by Tennyson’s poem — but look closer...

Her vivid blue dress is reminiscent of the Virgin Mary, a Gothic-style stained-glass window depicts the Annunciation, and the draped fabrics and ornate interior recall the rich patterns of medieval manuscripts. The influence is unmistakable.

It’s fascinating how inspiration travels across time. From the blues musicians who shaped rock ’n’ roll to the Pre-Raphaelites borrowing from medieval masters, we see a continuous thread: the art we create reflects the art we consume.

And perhaps that is the most revealing measure of our age: if we feed our imagination with the fleeting, the superficial, and the disposable… what will we create?

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Now, let’s dive deeper into the world of illuminated manuscripts to understand how these extraordinary works, lavishly adorned with gold and silver, influenced art for centuries. While a few examples date back to late antiquity (400–600 AD), the majority are from the Middle Ages. Early European manuscript production was centered in Christian monasteries, where monks devoted countless hours to preserving knowledge and crafting beauty.

Before the invention of movable type revolutionized Europe, every book had to be painstakingly handwritten, which is why they were called manuscripts, derived from the Latin manuscriptus, meaning written by hand (manu = by hand, scriptus = written). Creating one of these illuminated marvels was a true labor of love and skill. Pages were made from calf, sheep, or goat skin, sewn together, and bound in leather, and decorated with gold, ivory, or even jewels. Every single letter was meticulously inscribed...

With the advent of printing in the 15th century, the art of illumination declined, though some manuscripts continued to be created into the early 16th century for wealthy patrons. Today, thousands of these works survive, offering us not only a glimpse of medieval life but also some of the best-preserved examples of painting from the era.

In Lectures and Essays, Goldwin Smith observed:

There is a spell in mediaeval art which has had power to bewitch some people into trying, or wishing to try, or fancying that they wish to try… to bring back the Middle Ages.

Take in these 8 masterpieces, and I promise you will not only understand the meaning of his words but also feel that very spell weaving its irresistible magic around you…

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1. Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

With the countdown to Christmas underway, it feels fitting to begin with a nativity scene from one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts ever created:

The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (1412–1416) is a book of hours — a Christian devotional book containing prayers to be recited at specific times of the day.

Commissioned by John, Duke of Berry, brother of King Charles V of France, the manuscript was brought to life by the Limbourg brothers — Paul, Johan, and Herman. Painted with rare and costly pigments, enriched with gold, and filled with an extraordinary number of illustrations, it is considered one of the most opulent examples of late medieval illumination.

After lying largely in obscurity for three centuries, it eventually captured widespread attention in the late nineteenth century. Its stunning miniatures have since shaped the way generations imagine the Middle Ages.

2. Book of Kells

This is perhaps the most famous example in existence. The Book of Kells is an illustrated Latin Gospel manuscript created in a Columban monastery in Ireland or Scotland around 800 AD.

On display at Trinity College Library, Dublin, it is considered a masterwork of Western calligraphy and the pinnacle of Insular illumination.

Book of Kells Experience at Trinity College Dublin

Its illustrations and ornamentation surpass those of other similar books in both complexity and sheer beauty, blending Christian iconography with intricate Celtic motifs, including humans, animals, mythical beasts, and interlacing patterns.

3. Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux