The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Spain [Hardcover]

Mireille Mentre (Author)

Book Description

Series: Illuminated Manuscripts | Publication Date: November 1996

As the end of the first millennium drew near, the beleaguered Christian communities of Spain, still dominated by Islam, were experiencing a profound spiritual crisis. Cut off from the rest of Europe and obsessed by the imminence of God's judgement, these people made of their illuminated manuscripts art forms of extraordinary expressive power. More than 20 manuscripts survive, dating from 900 to 1100, all illuminated in a bizarre and colourful style known as Mozarabic, and depicting an invented world peopled by angelic warriors, demons and beasts, exotic birds and serpents and luxuriant trees. The Beatus manuscripts, based on the commentary written three centuries earlier by the monk Beatus of Liebana, are the largest, but not only body of such work. There are Bibles, and a small number of other religious texts, all sharing the same apocalyptic vision as recounted in the Revelation of St John the Divine. This study explores the context and role of the illuminations and explains their dense theological meaning without dissipating their magic.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As a result of Moorish invasions, early Spain saw Islamic influences on art, architecture, and culture, including?ironically?Christian art. Focusing on the illuminated manuscripts of 10th- and 11th-century Spain, this book beautifully portrays those influences. Gorgeous color plates make up almost half the content. In this scholarly and well-researched book, Mentre (history of arts and religion, Sorbonne) dissects the illustrations by motif, element, style, and influence, making a strong case for defining Mozarabic (the period when Spain was dominated by Islam) as a distinctive art style. Mentre's arguments are very specialized, however. This volume would stand well in collections on illuminated manuscripts or early medieval art in larger academic libraries.?Karen Ellis, Baldwin Boettcher Lib., Humble, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

At the end of the first millennium--when many expected the world to end--the Christian communities of Spain, still dominated by Islam, experienced a profound spiritual crisis. To make sense of their predicament, they turned to The Book of Revelation by St. John the Divine, and commentaries on this work were circulated in a variety of illuminated manuscripts of extraordinary expressive power. More than twenty of these manuscripts survive, dating from between 900 and 1100, all rendered in a colorful style known as Mozarabic. Cut off from the rest of Europe and obsessed by the imminence of God's judgment, the creators of these books invented a world peopled by angelic warriors, demons and beasts, exotic birds and serpents, and luxuriant trees. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 303 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500017328
• ISBN-13: 978-0500017326
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,117,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spanish illumination..., September 10, 2002

By 

K. Hansen (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Spain (Hardcover)

The quality of the reproductions in this book alone is worth the price tag. The fact that this book is in English (much of the material on this subject is not) makes it a valuable resource as well. Mireille Mentre is one of the leading students of Spanish medieval manuscripts, and this book surveys the most important pre-Romanesque (mozarabic) examples. This is a somewhat conventional art-historical analysis, as Mentre traces the development of the mozarabic style through numerous examples. The chapters are as follows:
1. Context and characteristics of mozarabic painting
2. Foundations and development of a distinctive style
3. The role and function of painting and illumination
4. Design and pictorial treatment
5. Painting and spirituality

There are also appendices listing principal mozarabic manuscripts and dated manuscripts, as well as an extensive bibliography about the subject.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thorough without overdoing it, August 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Spain (Hardcover)

This is the book to start your adventures in Medieval Spanish illumination. This looks at the influences of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic art - the fact that the majority of the plates are in color can only add to the value of the very reasonable price.

Highly recommended for anyone engaged in reproduction of this style of art. Beautiful rendition of the colors of the original MSS.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extremely thorough, June 15, 1998

By 

Gaylin Walli - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Illuminated Manuscripts of Medieval Spain (Hardcover)

The fantastic pictures of the manuscripts alone are worth the pricetag on this book. But don't buy it for that reason alone. Mireille Mentre has managed to strike an impressive balance between descriptive text, academic discussion, and outstanding photography. While the organization of the book as a whole suffers slightly from what appears to be the publication of parts of an excellent doctoral dissertation, anyone interested in the history of medieval Spanish illumination (especially members of organizations like the Society for Creative Anachronism) would do well to add this text to their library.