The beauty of the medieval manuscript
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
- Course Code: VB953
- Dates: 06/06/24 - 27/06/24
- Time: 11:00 - 13:00
- Taught: Thu, Daytime
- Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 weeks)
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Emma Rose Barber
Course Code: VB953
Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Explore the vivid, gilded and highly decorative medieval manuscript, learning about different types of books from the Book of Hours, to the Psalter, the Apocalypse to the Bestiary. We will learn about the different types of imagery found on the pages and in the margins; as well as learn how to recognise the iconography, rich in narrative and sometimes even fun content. We will start by looking at an Anglo-Saxon manuscript such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and then we will concentrate on the Gothic period, with a study of manuscripts such as the Luttrell Psalter, one of the most famous manuscripts of the 14th century where we see the patron of the book – Sir Geoffrey Luttrell having supper with some of his friends.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
Learn how the manuscripts were illuminated and decorated and gain a basic framework for types of design, composition, how the books are laid out with scribe and illustrations for example.
Learn about some of the types of patrons who commissioned medieval books, including female patrons.
Start to be accustomed to some of the terminology used when discussing medieval manuscripts.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Identify different types of medieval books.
• Learn to recognise some of the imagery and iconography used by the illuminators.
• Gain confidence in talking about a type of ’book’ art.
• Develop an informed opinion on what might constitute ‘beauty’ in the Middle Ages.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download via the college’s Google Classroom. You will be sent an invitation to join the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Origins of the Italian Renaissance: The Primitivi
The beginnings of Christian art and architecture: from antiquity to the Dark Ages
Renaissance Reimagined: strange pictures.
Emma Rose Barber is an art historian who has been teaching adults for over 25 years. She specialises in the visual culture of the Middle Ages and the Italian and Northern Renaissance. She has also taught classes on British art and has designed many different courses such as Last Suppers in Florence and Bosch, Breughel and the Surrealists. She has also given lectures on Women and Art. She used to run the history of art department at the British Institute in Florence and works for many institutions such as the Open University, Morley College and the department of continuing education at the University of Oxford. Her book – 111 Churches that you Shouldn’t Miss in London - is coming out in the autumn of 2020. She has spent the last five years with a Mini A-Z looking for churches to write about, many of which can be found on her blog – https://theitinerantchurchgoer.wordpress.com/. She is also writing a Cultural History of Wayfaring and writes articles for Selvedge Magazine.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
