Illuminated Manuscripts

The name illuminated manuscript comes from latin terms. Manuscript derives from the latin term for handwritten, and illuminated comes from the latin term for “lit up”, or “enlightened”. Before the invention of printing, all books had to be written by hand. They were usually written on Parchment which is a writing surface that is made out of the stretched skins of cows, or sheep. The widespread use of paper did not occur until the late middle ages. One manuscript depending on the length could use the skin of just one animal, or even an entire herd of cows. The time and effort necessary to create of these manuscripts, and the cost of materials made these very expensive. Illuminated manuscripts were even more expensive, special, and precious because they were decorated with gold, silver, bright colors, and illustrations. What makes these works distinct is that the illustrations, and the text are one in the same.

The Earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date back to around 400-600 AD and were made in Italy, and the the Eastern Roman Empire. Most manuscripts that have survived are known to be from the 5^th-15^th century, also known as the middle ages. There are also many of these precious texts from the Renaissance period. 

This is an Illuminated Manuscript I designed and created in Photoshop CC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminated_manuscript

http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/TourIntroGen.asp

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/283009/illuminated-manuscript