Medieval and Renaissance Illuminations
"Enluminures du Moyen-Age à la Renaissance", Louvre Museum, from 7 July 2011 au 3 October 2011
From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, initials and texts were "illuminated" in the scriptoria: a delicate, painstaking and glistening art form used to convey a religious message or a vision of ancient history, or even used for music. The creative process of tracing lines, applying colour and gilding is described in the De arte illuminandi, a treatise from the mid 14th century. Jean Fouquet, Lorenzo Monaco, Wilhelm Vrelant and Giulio Clovio were masters of this art which opened a new chapter in the history of painting.
