Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The St. Petersburg Public Library in Russia houses many treasures and collections, one of which is their well-preserved illuminated manuscripts. This book shows the collection in all its glory, providing 374 illustrations of these miniatures and illuminations, almost all in full color. It really is the color that springs from the page?red, green, blue, and gilded gold. The plates with their accompanying annotations are the highlight of this compilation. Sadly, the book falls short on several other important details. There is no index or detailed table of contents; the collection of manuscripts is arranged by country and then chronologically, but this is not enough; and the list of abbreviations for sources holds only a limited bibliography. The book is a scholarly disappointment though a beautiful collection of illustrations. Recommended only for specialized collections.?Karen Ellis, Baldwin Boettcher Lib., Humble, Tex.

Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

The National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg inherited the magnificent collection of medieval and Renaissance illustrated manuscripts originally in the Imperial Library. Tresures from the National Library are reproduced in this unique volume, in all the brilliance of their original color. The collection includes missals and sacred texts, and a magnificent series of royal and princely manuscripts. There are also Renaissance manuscripts from England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The works embellished with illuminations includes bibles, books of hours, and other religious texts, as well as chronicles, herbals, and even works of fiction and poetry. The detailed annotations and explanations give the provenance of each work and there is an extensive bibliography.