This publication is the first to appear in a major new series of Catalogues covering all the Western medieval illuminated manuscripts in Cambridge.
Some 3,000 manuscripts are being catalogued according to their place of origin and school of illumination, dating from the sixth to the sixteenth century and covering a wide range of texts both in Latin and in vernacular languages.
LA SERIE: 'Illuminated Manuscripts in Cambridge - A Catalogue of Western Book Illumination in the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Cambridge Colleges'
The catalogue is in five multi-volume parts and will appear in the following order:
(I) The Low Countries - Germany - Bohemia - Austria Hungary (251 manuscripts)
(II) Italy - Spain - Portugal (circa 500 manuscripts)
(II) France (circa 600 manuscripts)
(IV)England - Ireland - Scotland - Wales (circa 1500 manuscripts)
(V) Illuminated Incunabula (circa 100 volumes)
Part I will be published in two volumes in June 2009 :
Part I - Volume one (The Frankish Kingdoms - Northern Netherlands - Germany - Bohemia - Hungary - Austria
Part I - Volume two (The Meuse Region - Southern Netherlands)
The present two-volume catalogue deals with the early manuscripts produced in the Frankish Kingdoms, the splendid, richly illustrated books from the Northern and Southern Netherlands ranging from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, illuminations from the Meuse region, manuscripts both in Latin and the vernacular from the late eleventh to the end of the sixteenth century from Germany, and lastly an interesting group of books from Bohemia, Austria and Hungary. While the focus of the catalogue is on the illumination, all decoration and ornamentation being listed in detail, entries also include much information on codicology, on texts and on provenance, as well as the most recent bibliographical references. Every manuscript catalogued is also illustrated, generally with several images which are all reproduced in full colour.