Gothic illuminated manuscripts in the history of the book (2008)

This course is an introduction to the study of Gothic manuscripts in western Europe, especially but not exclusively in France. Following a codicological introduction on the technical properties of manuscripts and their production (including analysis of their composition, script, illumination, decoration, and binding), the course will examine different types of texts and their cycles of illumination.

"Hands-on" sessions organized around the holdings of the Bibliotheque municipale of Lyons will be devoted to different types of manuscripts, as follows : the thirteenth-century Parisian portable Bible and the subsequent evolution of biblical manuscripts; romances and romance allegories, including the Roman de la Rose; the late medieval "best-seller," the Book of Hours; and hybrid manuscripts, books containing elements of script and print.

These sessions will be supplemented by an exploration of the various methodologies employed in the scholarly literature, as well as a glimpse at other relevant manuscripts in diverse libraries worldwide. Internet resources useful for the study of medieval manuscripts will comprise an integral portion of the course. The aim is to give both the knowledgeable specialist and interested amateur a better understanding and appreciation of medieval manuscripts within the broader framework of the history of the book.