The Golden Age of English Manuscript Painting, 1200-1500

Chatto & Windus, London, first edition, 1981. Laminated illustrated wrappers, 4to, 29 cm,. 119 pp,colour ills. From the blurb: "This is the first comprehensive selection in colour of manuscripts from 1200 to 1500 - the richest period of English manuscript painting. The authors provide a history of the subject and describe the different centres of production. The influence of Italian and French artists is discussed in relation to English manuscript painting; the work of Matthew Paris at St. Albans and the East Anglican school are reappraised, and the role of court and aristocratic patronage is fully assessed. The Golden Age of English Manuscript Painting covers the centuries of the luxury personal psalters and Books of Hours. The manuscripts rank among the finest achievements of medieval painting, and include masterpieces such as The Lindesey Psalter, The Life of Saint Alban, The Trinity Apocalypse, The Oscott Psalter, The Liber Regalis, The Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours, and the Sherborne Missal. The volume includes forty colour plates, each faced by a detailed commentary, an introduction with black and white photographs, and an up-to-date bibliography. It contains the most recent scholarly research on English Gothic manuscript painting, but at the same time provides a fascinating introduction to the subject for the general reader. Very Good.