Of Art and History

Which orders existed in the Middle Ages, which legends were told and how did certain representations in illumination develop? Here you can find out!

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Of Art and History

The mixture of art, culture, craftsmanship, and history makes medieval manuscripts and their facsimiles so fascinating. We want to trace this fascination in our category "Of Art and History".

Painted Picture Frames – From Foliate Borders and Framing Architectures to a Glimpse into Another Sphere

Framings are an integral part of book illumination, which produced an almost infinite multitude of shapes and variations…

The Mystery of the Knights Templar: The Rise and Fall of the Most Famous Order of the Middle Ages

How did the Templars live, what made them the most powerful military order of the Middle Ages, and who was responsible…

Hades in Chains, Shattered Doors in a Sea of Flames and Horrifying Faces of Hell: The Manifold Depiction of the Harrowing of Hell

Where was Christ's soul between the crucifixion and resurrection? An iconographic exploration of the story of Christ's…

The Art of Initials - When Letters Become Images

From subtle sentence initials to the merging of letter and image - an insight into the limitless variety of the art of…

The Communion of Saints in Heavenly Spheres: All Saints' Day in Medieval Book Illumination

How did illuminators bring "all the saints" into one image? Which saints are involved and how did All Saints' Day become…

The Tomb of Christ - The Mystery of the Resurrection in Medieval Illumination

How were the the tomb of Christ and the mystery of the Resurrection translated into the image and what does the…

The Fountain of Life Iconography: Of Healing Springs and Gardens of Paradise

Water is life! Immerse yourself in an artistic and almost forgotten iconography of the Middle Ages …

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Latin 16744, fol. 81r.

Christmas and the Word of God as a "Hard Nut to Crack"?

Why did Ezekiel have to eat a scroll and what does it have to do with Christmas? Learn more here …

Nimbus, Mandorla, and Aureole

They are a natural part of our image of a saint: nimbus, mandorla, aureole. Learn more about their surprising variety…

The Plantagenet Dynasty

Read here how the powerful House of Plantagenet sought to create an empire on both sides of the English Channel …

Pentecost: The Feast of the Holy Spirit

What does Pentecost have to do with NASA? Here you can find out about that, and how the miracle of Pentecost is depicted…

Hunting in the Middle Ages

Hunting game in the Middle Ages served not only to enrich the menu. For the nobility, it advanced from a sporting…

The Franciscan Order receiving official recognition from Pope Innocent III in 1210 (Legenda Maior: The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy — 13th century)

Monastic Orders of the Middle Ages

Everyone has heard of them: Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans. But how did these orders come into being, what…

The Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead

Three splendidly dressed noblemen and three frightening skeletons...why is this representation not seldom found in…

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