Learnings: The Art of Illumination

"Carpet Page" from the Lindisfarne Gospels / 8th cent.

Creating a book was a team effort; many talented illuminators might take part in decorating a codex, or book, with stunning paints and illustrations. Some would paint letters in rich colours and gild them with golden leaves; others would fill the margins with beautiful patterns that framed and embellished the text. Sometimes there no words on the page at all, only colourful illustrations, as seen in this 8th-century manuscript.