The the
Middle Ages books often included drawings and pictures to illustrate
the text. These pictures were important as many of the people who
looked at the books could not read or write. In some cases the writer
of the book did his or her own illustrations. However, most books
were produced in a team rather than an individual. Often based in
a monastery, the team would include
an author, scribe and artist.
The most common picture books produced by monks were bibles. These
bibles would be illustrated with famous scenes from the life of
Jesus. Books on the lives of famous saints such as Thomas
Becket were also popular. These religious books were used to
teach people about Christianity.
One of the books that has survived was produced by Holkham, Leicestershire.
The book includes 230 scenes from the Old and New Testaments and
would have been very helpful to priests teaching illiterate peasants
about religion.
Rich people sometimes commissioned scribes and artists to produce
books for them called psalters. These
books contained the person's favourite psalms (religious songs that
were sung or chanted in church). As well as religious pictures these
books often included illustrations that were personal to the person
who commissioned the book. One of the most important of these was
the one commissioned by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell,
in about 1325.
These books were very expensive to produce. We know this because
some of the account books of people who commissioned the illustrated
books have survived. In 1383, Abbott Nicholas of Westminster decided
he wanted a new missal (a book that
contains details of the masses to be performed during the year).
The book took two years to produce and cost £34 (several thousand
pounds in today's money).
In the early Middle Ages nearly all illustrated manuscripts were
produced by monks. However, by the 15th century artists in the towns
began to takeover this work. Although they rarely signed their work,
tax records suggest that these artists were often women.
