Illuminated Initials in Full Color: 548 Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive)

Among the glories of extant medieval manuscripts are the splendid illuminated initials in which geometric, curvilinear, animal, religious and other motifs intertwine to form extraordinarily beautiful and decorative letters.For this striking volume, Carol Belanger Grafton has selected 548 illuminated letters-alphabetically arranged-from 19th-century reprints of medieval manuscripts. Here are magnificently ornamented initials-some the length of an entire margin, another encompassing the page itself, others delicate miniatures. All are imaginatively and beautifully enhanced with royal and saintly figures, mythical creatures, knights in battle, exquisite florals and much more.Encompassing all the letters of the alphabet, and including a selection of hand-colored chromolithographs, this practical archive of lovely copyright-free designs not only provides commercial artists and illustrators with a wealth of

Amazon Help said Excellent Manuscript.. The Book is still a Work in progress recreating these all freehand from memory, as this was the project. I've gone through half the book recreating the items in the book of Authentic Goatskin Vellum in an arrangement that would pass for Medieval script. There were several other books used and this one helped a lot I n this project.. Value for money Lynne Kelly As a newcomer to creating my own illuminated letter images, I found the ideas presented here very useful in helping me develop my own style. A huge range of designs gave me a greater insight into the possibilities than I had when only looking at the traditional manuscripts. At a very reasonable price, I feel this was an excellent investment.. Useful S. M. Cox Great reference book for artists! Lots of lovely illuminated letters, all crisply separated by a field of white! I want more reference books in this style.