The Written Word
Introduction
This exhibition brings together pages from medieval manuscripts and early printed works giving a sample of the various types of books created between 1100 and 1550. Before the invention of moveable type (ca. 1450) all Western European books were entirely handmade. The leaves of the book were made of parchment, which is treated animal skin with great durability. The text was written and decorated by hand. A new era in European book production, initiated with the invention of moveable type, allowed the manufacture of multiple copies of identical pages with relative ease. Early printed books were made from paper and if illustrations were desired, they were usually done as woodcuts, which were sometimes handcolored after the printing process.
Although most of the works seen in this exhibition were originally part of books, they entered RISD’s collection as individual pages. Dividing books into individual sheets was a popular way for museums and libraries to acquire collections of representative leaves, especially in the earlier part of the 20th century.
Exhibition images
