The
Exhibition (1 of 2)
Italy has long been considered
the birthplace of Renaissance painting, overshadowing
splendid artistic achievements in other areas,
including manuscript illumination. In fact, painting
in books was a major art form throughout the
medieval and Renaissance periods, and some princes
preferred illuminated manuscripts to other media,
even though they could cost more than entire
frescoed rooms or chapels. The exhibition highlights
six cities and regions of Italy that were significant
centers for manuscript illumination, each with
its own traditions and circumstances of production.
The exhibition begins in southern Italy with
primarily medieval manuscripts and then takes
visitors on a journey north to Bologna, Florence
and Siena, Lombardy and the Duchy of Milan, and
Ferrara, Mantua, and the Veneto. It culminates
in the cosmopolitan center of Rome, where during
the High Renaissance Italian illumination experienced
a final flowering. The variety and innovation
seen in the miniatures and manuscripts drawn
from these diverse regions provide a glimpse
of the accomplishment of Italian illuminators.
The Exhibition (2 of 2) Exhibition
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