Fashion stylists in miniature
If you think you have already seen the strangest outfits in the world, check out these medieval clothes and accessories, some of which were considered “inventions of the devil” by the Church.
Illuminated Manuscripts
Everything concerning the original manuscript, including essays on the language, the style, the artists, the miniatures.
The Jewel in the Crown
King Martin I of Aragon (1356-1410) was so fond of art he supported the creation of paintings and manuscripts even in periods of financial distress. This Alumina article tells us more about his breviary, an exquisite example of international Gothic style.
Discovering the Art of Micrography
A little (medieval) fiesta never killed nobody: follow us for a trip into the Catalan Mahzor, a unique prayer book from the second quarter of the fourteenth century. Spoiler alert: contains stunning micrographies.
The Golden Word
With its 60 pages of illuminated art, and over 500 initials, the Codex Aureus of Echternach is a true gem of the Ottonian era. This Alumina article unveils its history.
Quaternio’s Vienna Genesis: A Step Closer to the Original 6th-Century Jem
We wanted to know how Quaternio Verlag was able to reproduce the century-old folios of the Vienna Genesis down to the smallest detail. What we found out exceeds our expectations.
Pumpkins, Fire Pits and Unicorns: A Renaissance Bible and Its Symbols
When the Duke of Modena, Borso d’Este, commissioned a lavish, two-volume bible to be illuminated by the best artists of his age, he had a specific political purpose in mind.
The Discovery of Love
Music is ethereal, but manuscripts go down in history. Volumes such as the Codex Manesse have preserved the texts of thousands of Medieval courtly songs. Find out more in today’s Alumina article!
Apocalypsis Johannis: A Renaissance Comic Book?
The events described in the Book of Revelation cannot be compared to the adventures of Superman, but clerics at the end of the 1400s had surely found a way to make sacred Christian writings appealing to a very wide audience.
A Beacon of Culture
If you are a book lover, you cannot miss this Alumina article about the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel, whose vast collection has remained untouched for over four hundred years.
A Forever-Shining Gem of the German Romanesque Period
After eight and a half centuries this liturgical book, profusely decorated with shimmering gold and silver, is almost untouched by time. A new facsimile edition by Quaternio Verlag Luzern takes us closer to the perfection of its Romanesque illuminations.
