medieval illuminated manuscript letters d

An obvious way to emphasize the beginning of a book or section was to simply increase the size of the first or initial letter. Joannes Koulix, 1101 - The Met Initially…Ĭenturies before the advent of lowercase letters, manuscripts were written in majuscule or capital letters. Inhabited Greek π (pi) initial, topped by a portrait of St, Paul. Venice, 1482 - Photo thanks to Paul Dijstelberge. This one by Erhard Ratdolt, an early proponent of their use. A fairly typical early printed woodcut initial. Angels singing in this illuminated historiated initial G, by Lorenzo Monaco, early 15th century - Rijks Museum 3. A ‘puzzle’ initial Q by Fra Angelico, from a Gradual (church music book) produced before 1454 - Polo Museale Fiorentino 2. Cuthbert Gospel - British Libraryīottom row (L → R): 1. A change in size and script, from Uncial to Roman) is enough to indicate the start of a new verse (7:31) in the Gospel of John.

Trompe l’oeil initial from a manuscript book of hours produced in France at the close of the 15th century - Université de Liège 4. ‘You’ll want that seen to!’ Historiated initial from the popular medieval medical textbook, Avicenna’s Canon medicinae, Paris 13th century - Bibliothèque municipale 3. Zoomorphic dragon initial from the The Arnstein Bible - c. The story of writing is in large part written by those experiments, in adopting and adapting, in paring down and embellishing. If they hadn’t, then Europe would still be writing in all-caps. Indeed, it’s through such experimentation that Roman square capitals (and Greek inscriptional capitals) evolved into cursive forms that eventually became minuscule or lowercase letters. But our experiments with letterforms never ceased.

Some, like the letter O, for example, retain those traces still - it’s easy to imagine an O as an eye, especially when we add a smaller circle or dot at its center, as it sometimes appeared in Egypt and the Middle East, more than 3,000 years ago. Many of the letterforms we use today evolved from pictures of things.

Medieval illuminated manuscript letters d