The Art of the Book: Its Place in Medieval Worship (Exeter Medieval Texts and Studies) - Tapa dura

The authors have been well served by the publishers, who have produced an attractively presented text with a generous selection of illustrations. * The Library, 2I.3 * Of serious value to all concerned with the arts as inspiration and servant of religion, especially in the late Middle Ages. * Theology, March/April * The oldest manuscripts dealt with are of the early fourteenth century, the latest of the early sixteenth, and the geographical spread is from Italy to the Netherlands. But all are interesting, and the book, edited by Margaret M. Manion and Bernard J. Muir, is well presented and handsomely illustrated. * TLS * A well-produced book. Not the least of its delights are the excellent eight colour and ninety-eight black-and-white plates, which put the poorly-printed and over-priced offerings of older university presses to shame. * The Ricardian, Vol. 12, No. 153 * This handsomely produced and illustrated book consists of ten essays on aspects of the various types of medieval prayer books used in both public and private Christian worship from the eighth through the fifteenth century . . . One of the beauties of the book is that it encompasses a variety of approaches to the subject, each illuminated by means of specific examples . . . the reader will derive an understanding of the diversity underlying all aspects of the production of these objects . . . It expands rather than limits our view of the place of the book in the cultural life of this period and provides a splendid introduction to this richly complex subject. Furthermore, the complementarity of pictorial image and text emerges as a major theme throughout. Although nearly all of the essays are by art historians, this book will appeal to a much wider audience. Anyone who is concerned with the life of the educated classes, both secular and religious, of the late Middle Ages will want this anthology. * Church History, Vol 69, No. 4 *

This collection of articles, by scholars with established reputations in the field, focuses on medieval books designed for use in Christian worship, both public and private. Examples are drawn from French, Italian and Dutch work of the fourteenth to the early sixteenth centuries. The contributors explore the various ways in which text and imagery complement and re-enforce one another, and the importance of music and chant is also addressed. The interdisciplinary focus ensures that it will be of wide interest to scholars in many different fields. This is a work of original contributions by scholars with established reputations in the field; no other volume deals with the same material. Much of the visual material has been previously unpublished or inaccessible.