The Art & Science of Illuminated Manuscripts: A Handbook

This book is designed to provide a guide for art-history scholars and conservationists to support the on-going research developed recently for methods and techniques in pursuing non-invasive scientific analyses of illuminated manuscripts. The results achieved by the research of the pioneering Cambridge Miniare Project had led to the ground-breaking and acclaimed exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in 2016 - COLOUR: The Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts. This was followed by an international Conference in 2017, where art-historians and scientists were brought together to share new recent research that had subsequently been applied not only to manuscripts but also to painting in general. The present publication includes 7 essays by way of introducing and explaining the major topics being investigated, including pigment analysis, inks, colourants and binders, parchment, pigment recipes, model books. Optical instruments and techniques that are used are also discussed. Then follow 75 Case Studies of manuscripts from as early as the year 700 up to c.1600. All these are fully illustrated in colour and in great detail, and should act as examples to guide conservation departments in collections, museums and other laboratories in applying scientific investigation into works of art.