Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination 11 November 2011 – 13 March 2012
The British Library’s latest exhibition, Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination, opens this week and is the culmination of a major research project started three years ago and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The exhibition is the first to display richly illuminated manuscripts from the Royal collection of the British Library in such large numbers and includes 154 colourful and gilded handwritten books, dating between the 9th and 16th centuries and previously belonging to the kings and queens of England.
The manuscripts, on display in the PACCAR Gallery, offer unique insights into the lives and aspirations of those for whom they were made, enriching our understanding of both the monarchy and the Middle Ages. Many played an active role in the development of kings and knights and provided moral and practical guidance as well as lessons in history, politics and geography. A critical part of the nation’s cultural heritage, these manuscripts, once handled by royalty such as King Henry VIII, have survived in astonishingly good condition. Remarkably well preserved, they still retain their vivid colours and gleaming gold detail.
The exhibition has been 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.
• The Christian Monarch – English kings from the Anglo-Saxons to the Tudors commissioned and owned luxurious handwritten copies of Christian texts.
• 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.
• 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.
Providing visitors with an in-depth look at the manuscripts, the exhibition includes several interactives and video presentations including Matthew Paris’s Itinerary to Jerusalem, showing a ‘pop-up’ pilgrimage route from London to Jerusalem and an interactive guide to royal and religious iconography in the exhibition, highlighting and explaining the biblical and heraldic images seen in the manuscripts on display.
Dr Scot McKendrick comments: “The surviving manuscripts associated with successive kings and queens of England form a remarkable inheritance. The exhibition is the culmination of a major research project started three years ago and it is with great pleasure that we are able to share the collection’s beauty with a wider audience.”
Throughout January BBC Four will air a three part series, The Private Lives of Medieval Kings, made by Oxford Film & Television and presented by Dr Janina Ramirez, a specialist in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts, taking an in-depth look at the unique insights that the manuscripts reveal into the medieval world and mind, focusing on how the manuscripts were used to establish the right to rule.
Events accompanying the exhibition will include talks by Andrew Marr, Eamon Duffy and Michael Wood as well as a performance by one of the world’s finest vocal ensembles, The Sixteen.
http://www.bl.uk/royal/
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Notes to Editors:
AHRC Media contact: Jake Gilmore, Communications Manager, 01793 416021; j.gilmore@ahrc.ac.uk
The exhibition has been generously funded by the Pigott family.
The research for this exhibition has been made possible by funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Additional funding has also been gratefully received from a number of philanthropic sources.
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.
Events
The public events programme accompanying the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius Of Illumination will include 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. Details of the events can be accessed here 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.
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC): Each year the AHRC provides approximately £100 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 hundreds of research awards ranging from individual fellowships to major collaborative projects as well as over 1,100 studentship 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.
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.