Romanesque Manuscripts: The Twelfth Century. Vol. 1-2

Harvey Miller Publishers, 1996 2 volumes 4to (33.5 cm), 48 pp, 374 plates; 219 pp. Publisher's cloth and dust jacket (minor shelf-wear). From the blurb: "This publication covers the very large body of material that survives from the Romanesque period, a time of intense creativity. Professor Cahn not only discusses the high points of the illuminator's art, but also surveys a broad range of books from Bibles and Saint's Lives to literary and historical writings. The manuscripts are arranged by region, within the present boundaries of France. In this introduction the author deals with themes such as the material evidence, types and styles of illumination and historiography. This gives scope for a consideration of patronage - both ecclesiastical and secular - and the development of libraries. The Catalogue gives detailed information about format, style and iconography, contents, provenance and literature for each manuscript, and is particulary valuable for the identification of different artist and scribes. The corpus of illustrations complements the Catalogue and provides a much needed visual conspectus of French Romanesque book illumination. This first publication in the new series reveals hitherto unknown material and will serve scholars and collectors as a definitive reference book for an understanding of the variety and artistic richness of French illuminated manuscripts of this era."