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From 'The Book of Kells' to Boccaccio's 'Decameron', from the 'Vienna Genesis' to Dante's 'Divine Comedy': to open 'Codices illustres' is to open the door into a precious, private world. Now in a revised format, this radiant book brings you face-to-face with 167 of the most exquisite and important manuscripts of the medieval age.0Presented in brilliant large-format reproductions, these paradigms of miniature painting and illumination from the 4th century to 1600 were once the property of some of the greatest power players in history. Now art-historical treasures, they are worth many millions and typically tucked away in private collections or closely guarded archives-until now. Although the focus of this collection is on European manuscripts, examples from Mexican, Persian, and Indian tradition illustrate the refinement and intricacy of manuscript illumination in non-European cultures. An informative synopsis for each manuscript orients the reader at a glance, while a 36-page appendix contains biographies of the artists, as well as an extensive bibliography, an index, and a glossary for technical terms.… (more)
User reviews
The descriptions tend to concentrate on the technical and art historical side of the illuminations. If, like me, you are also interested in the historical and social context, you might wish for more. But the amazingly gorgeous repoductions more than compensate. Taschen is to be congratulated: the production values of this volume are a tribute to the art of the book, as well as to the book's predecessor, the manuscript.