The images that are hidden in illuminated manuscripts are among the finest works of art to have survived from the Middle Ages. The work was done by several craftsmen: some copied the text, others provided the colourful initials and the decorations in the margins, while the miniatures – the illustrations – were the work of specialist artists. The RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History is making available online the Dutch heritage comprising illuminated manuscripts.īefore the middle of the fifteenth century, when the art of book printing spread across Europe, each book needed to be separately made by hand.
Some of the institutions the project are currently working with are the Swedish National Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Gothenburg University, University College London, Stockholm University and the Royal Library in Copenhagen.Wednesday 16 February 2022 Illuminated manuscripts – hand-written and decorated books from the Middle Ages – are precious objects which were frequently enhanced with painted and drawn images. The project is therefore working in co-operation with other establishments that own related medieval manuscripts or have scholars working on material connected to that in the Nationalmuseum’s collection. This means that parts of the same manuscript are today found in several institutions throughout the world.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many manuscripts were unfortunately cut up, and their valuable illuminations were then sold separately as small paintings. The final part involves working with other institutions that own medieval manuscripts related to those in the Nationalmuseum’s collection. The third part is updating the online catalogue with new research, this will then be able to be viewed with the newly digitized manuscripts. All manuscripts will be digitized during the course of the project and will then be fully available for the public to view online. Therefore, work is needed to treat the manuscripts with 21st-century conservation methods and analysis. The collection has been closed for some time. The project’s aim is to preserve the manuscripts, open the whole collection digitally to the wider public, and extend our knowledge of these precious items. These objects need conservation and only a limited number have been digitized or made accessible digitally to the public. The Nationalmuseum’s collection of illuminated manuscripts and fragments contains almost 70 items totaling nearly 4000 pages. The study of medieval manuscripts is essential as these rare objects can tell us so much about the past. The project is made possible by an anonymous donation to the museum.
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