25 medieval manuscripts you can look at online right now

weirdmedievalguys.substack.com

List and links to 25 medieval manuscripts available to view online, with brief notes and sources for each item.

25 medieval manuscripts you can look at online right now

A question I am frequently asked in my capacity as Weird Medieval Guys is hey, where do you find all these guys? You may or may not know that almost every institution with a significant collection of medieval manuscripts digitises many of their most significant works and makes them freely accessible online. However, with thousands of these manuscripts available to browse, it can be difficult to know where to start! Here are a few recommendations I’ve collected from my time curating weird medieval art. Trinity College Dublin, MS 57 (Ireland, ca. 700 AD)This manuscript shows its age—in the best way possible, since it’s one of the oldest illuminated manuscripts around. Its pages are worn, water-stained in some places and repaired in others, but its hard to imagine that this has much detracted from the Book of Durrow’s charm.View it hereTrinity College Dublin, MS 58 (Ireland, ca. 800 AD)A singularly stunning Irish manuscript with some of the most ornate Celtic illustrations out there. Some would say it is the most beautiful Insular manuscript; others would say it is the most beautiful of all medieval manuscripts!View it hereAlba Iulia, Bibl. Batthyáneum, Ms R II 1 and Vatican, BAV, Pal. lat. 50 (Germany, ca. 810s AD)A product of the Carolingian Renaissance, a cosmopolitan movement that revived interest in classical studies throughout Europe. Look at those naturalistic drawings and classical attire! A typical example of elegant Carolingian restraint. This one has been split into two parts. View part I hereView part II hereParis, Bibliothèque Nationale, lat. 8878 (France, ca. 1028-1072 AD)A good medieval illuminated Apocalypse should still be a bit disturbing to look through, even today. If you ask me, this Romanesque edition with its flat, expressive, colourful compositions fits the bill nicely. View it hereLos Angeles, Getty Museum, Ms. 64 (Germany, ca. 1170s AD)This Romanesque manuscript contains lots and lots of large, elaborate initials, each one a little self-contai

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