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14/02/2012
Last chance to see the ‘dazzling’ Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination - Runs until Tuesday 13 March 2012
'They retain every inch of their power to delight and enchant.’
- Metro
Don’t miss the chance to see the British Library’s major exhibition, Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination, as it enters its last month. This milestone exhibition, opened by Her Majesty the Queen in November, is the first to display richly illuminated manuscripts from its Royal collection in such large numbers. http://www.bl.uk/royal
Awarded four stars by both The Times and Metro, the critically acclaimed Royal Manuscripts has been described as ‘dazzling’, ‘sheer beauty’, 'a genuine treasure’ ‘…beautiful, informative and timely’ and a fantastic reminder of how books were once the most prized of possessions.
Including 154 colourful and gilded handwritten books, dating between the 9th and 16th centuries and previously belonging to the kings and queens of England, these exquisite items are real treasures of the nation. The exhibition has been generously funded by the Pigott family and is the culmination of a major research project started three years ago and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. www.bl.uk/royal
Final events in collaboration with the exhibition include:
- The Most Splendid Court in all Christendom: Edward IV and Continental culture, fashion and luxury Friday 24 February – A talk by lead curator, Scot McKendrick.
- Late at the Library: Illuminate! Friday 2 March – This after hours event offers a chance to see breathtaking modern-day illustrators in a pop-up exhibition featuring work by Jon Burgerman, James Jarvis, Alice Melvin, Martin Rowson and Mr. Scruff. There is free entry to ‘Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination’ all night.
As well as a diverse array of events, Royal Manuscripts has also been accompanied by the BBC Four documentary series Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings, presented by Dr Janina Ramirez, which attracted 780,000 viewers. The series is now available on DVD from the British Library shop. www.bl.uk/shop
Curated by Dr Scot McKendrick, Head of History and Classics, British Library; Professor John Lowden, Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and Dr Kathleen Doyle, Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, British Library, the exhibition is presented in six sections:
Edward IV – Huge in size and lavishly illustrated, Edward’s books were intended to be admired and read aloud, providing both entertainment and edification for the King and his court. They remain the best witnesses of the splendours of Yorkist England under Edward IV.
The Christian Monarch – English kings from the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors commissioned and owned luxurious handwritten copies of Christian texts. These books included small, handheld prayerbooks for personal devotion, and large, lavish Gospel-books and Bibles given to royal foundations for display and liturgical use. Their magnificence reflects both the status and wealth of their owners and the desire to glorify God by adorning his Word with the most precious of materials.
Royal Identities – A range of manuscripts aided monarchs in understanding and presenting their status as royalty. Genealogical rolls and historical chronicles underpinned their right to rule, while coronation books documented the formal ceremony authenticating their authority.
How to be a King –These books presented heroes from both biblical and classical sources, including David, Solomon, Alexander and Caesar as exemplars of successful rulers.
The World’s Knowledge – Many books of reference and learning are included in the British Library’s Royal collection of manuscripts. Among these are digests, geographical and astrological compendia and works on personal hygiene and health. In addition, from the early 16th century copies of the new humanistic texts and translations were commissioned by or for English kings.
The European Monarch – Lavishly decorated books of Continental origin were made for and acquired by successive English monarchs, including works of history, devotion, instruction and music. These remarkable volumes reveal the close affinity of English royalty with fashionable continental styles and their appropriation of the refined art and culture of the Burgundian and French courts.
Dr Scot McKendrick says: “The surviving manuscripts associated with successive kings and queens of England form a remarkable inheritance. Together they offer by far the largest body of evidence for the relationship between two critical parts of British cultural heritage: its monarchy and its medieval art. They are fantastically well preserved; their gold still making their pages glow and flicker in the light for us, as they did for those who first viewed them centuries ago. It is with great pleasure that we are able to share the collection’s beauty with a wider audience.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
The exhibition has been generously funded by the Pigott family.
The research for this exhibition has been made possible by research generously funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Additional funding has also been gratefully received from a number of philanthropic sources.
Media partner – The Times
Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination is open from 11 November 2011 – 13 March 2012 in the PACCAR Gallery at the British Library.
Admission £9, concessions will be available including free admission for under 18s and schools. An audio guide will be included in the price of admission.
Booking information
For further information please visit www.bl.uk/royal and register for our e-what's on newsletter www.bl.uk/newsletters/subscribe.html
Exhibition opening hours
Open Mon, Wed-Fri 10:00am-6pm; Tue 10:00am-8pm; Sat 10:00am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm. Last admission an hour prior to closing.
All galleries are accessible by wheelchair. Information can be requested from Visitor Services staff on: T +44 (0)20 7412 7332.
Exhibition design
The exhibition, which was designed by Urban Salon in collaboration with graphic designer, John Morgan Studio incorporates a striking white double height nave and uses different designs to orientate visitors through the thematic sections of the exhibition.
Events
The public events programme accompanying the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius Of Illumination includes lectures by leading writers and scholars of the Middle Ages, taking in art history as well as the political, social and intellectual context of the period. Curators will also offer gallery talks of the exhibition.
Remaining events include:
• The Most Splendid Court in all Christendom: Edward IV and Continental culture, fashion and luxury Friday 24 February 18.30 – 20.00 Scot McKendrick
• Late at the Library: Illuminate! Friday 2 March 19.00 – 22.30
• New Learning from Old Books, Friday 9 March 18.30-20.00, David Starkey
For more information please visit http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/royalman/events/index.html
Learning programme
An exciting range of free workshops exploring Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination will be available for primary, secondary and further education students.
Workshops for primary aged pupils will explore medieval life through the illuminated manuscripts and images on display. Using creative activities, students will gain an understanding of royal identity, religious beliefs and education during this fascinating period. Looking closely at the items on display, groups will deconstruct the symbols of the paintings and develop an understanding of who the manuscripts were made by, who they were made for, and how they were made.
Workshops for secondary and further education students will examine a range of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts from colourful histories, genealogies and Bibles to scientific works and accounts of coronations. By interpreting the artistry and symbols within the images on display, students will gain new insights into faith, learning, the monarchy and international politics in medieval times. Groups will evaluate the reliability of sources and develop skills in interpreting historical texts.
www.bl.uk/royal
Exhibition catalogue
Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination
By Scot McKendrick, John Lowden and Kathleen Doyle
Illuminated manuscripts collected by the kings and queens of England from the 9th to the 16th century form the heart of a unique and visually stunning collection held by the British Library. A key figure in the formation of the collection is King Edward IV (1461 – 1483), who commissioned luxury manuscripts decorated with his arms. Subsequent monarchs added to this library, which was given to the nation by George II in 1757.
Over 150 examples from this exceptional collection are presented in this catalogue. These manuscripts contain paintings produced by some of the finest artists of the Middle Ages and together provide the most vivid surviving source for understanding royal identity, moral and religious beliefs, learning, faith and international politics.
The catalogue features a full-page entry of around 750 words on each manuscript included, as well as three illustrated essays that explore the wider history and context of this unique collection. It is lavishly illustrated, with a beautiful reproduction of an image from each manuscript presented alongside the text for every entry.
Paperback £25 (ISBN 978-0-7123-5815-6), hardback £40 (ISBN 978-0-7123-5816-3), 448 pages, 288mm x 230mm, publishing November 2011.
Royal Illuminated Manuscripts From King Athelstan to Henry VIII
By Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle
This book showcases forty-one of the illuminated manuscripts featured in the exhibition, chosen for their beauty and significance. Each image is explored in detail, the content and symbolism explained, the provenance of the manuscript considered and the item placed within the wider context of the tradition of illuminated manuscripts. The manuscripts selected are presented chronologically, starting in the Anglo-Saxon period when the English were first unified under a single king and ending after the Tudor monarch, Henry VIII, broke with the Church in Rome. Together they provide a vivid insight into a world very different from our own.
Paperback £10 (ISBN 978-0-7123- 5855-2), 96 pages, 222 x 166mm, publishing November 2011
Emma Bridgewater has released a new crockery collection, Royal Beasts, inspired by the exhibition. For prices and other products associated with Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination please visit http://shop.bl.uk/.
Phone and iPad Application
The Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination application will feature nearly sixty illuminated manuscripts from the exhibition and will contain nearly 500 images. There will also be a selection of videos featuring experts discussing the illuminated manuscripts.
£2.49 iPhone and Android, £3.99 iPad, with an introductory offer of £1.49 for iPhone and £2.49 for iPad until the exhibition opens. http://www.bl.uk/app
The app will be available to download worldwide for iPhone, iPad and Android devices.
For more information contact:
BoilerPlate
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation and includes books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, photographs,
newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Up to 10 million people visit the British Library website - www.bl.uk - every year where they can view up to 4 million digitised collection items and over 40 million pages.
Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC): Each year the AHRC provides approximately £102 million from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from languages and law, archaeology and English literature to design and creative and performing arts. In any one year, the AHRC makes approximately 700 research awards and around 1,350 postgraduate awards. Awards are made after a rigorous peer review process, to ensure that only applications of the highest quality are funded. The quality and range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.
www.ahrc.ac.ukThe Courtauld Institute of the University of London, since its foundation in 1932, has played a leading role internationally in teaching and research in the history of art and its conservation. Directors and curators of some of the world’s best-known museums and galleries studied and were trained at the Courtauld. The present exhibition builds specifically on a long history of collaboration between the Courtauld and the British Library at various levels, notably research and publication of illuminated medieval manuscripts.
http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/index.html