Making manuscripts


An illuminated manuscript is a book written and decorated completely by hand. Illuminated manuscripts were among the most precious objects produced in the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance, primarily in monasteries and courts. Society’s rulers–emperors, kings, dukes, cardinals, and bishops–commissioned the most splendid manuscripts.

Video from the J. Paul Getty Museum

Cite this page as: The J. Paul Getty Museum, "Making manuscripts," in Smarthistory, May 5, 2017, accessed March 19, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/making-manuscripts-2/.