The Visconti Hours

Rating:
Summary: A glory of the late Italian middle ages
Review: The Visconti Hours dates was painted in Italy for the Visconti family of Florence in the early 1400's. This book reproduces the illuminated carpet pages from this manuscript along with an introduction to the history of the book and commenty on individual plates. The plates themselves are very colourful and striking filled with vivid pinks, purples and greens. There were two main artists who produced this book and their work is quite distinctive giving the second half of the book quite a different flavour from the first half.

My main complaints about this reproduction is that the gold ink that has been used to recreate the effect of gold leaf in the original book has somewhat obscured some of the detail in the facsimile plates, and that some of the edges of the pages appear to have been chopped off to forced into the current book size which gives the impression of the illuminations spilling off the page or amputated in some cases.

However, these quibbles aside, this is a striking manuscript, well worthy of reproduction and every time you look at you are astonished at the brightness of the plates and the colours the artists selected. They are very different from the books produced in France and England during the same period. This book, in hardback, with a slipcase, is recommended to anybody who enjoys the striking beauty of medieval illuminated manuscripts.


Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Reproduction of an Amazing Book
Review: The Visconti Hours, one of the most luxurious and unusual Italian Books of Hours from around 1400, is magnificently reproduced in this facimile edition. The introductory text begins with an excellent summary of the political and social context of the book's production for Giangaleazzo Visconti, its noble owner. It continues with a discussion of the book's structure, iconography, and painting techniques, and includes short biographies of the two artists.

The plates themselves are of particularly high quality, sharp, clear, and brilliant, with gold stamping. The commentaries are informative.

All in all, this book is a must-have for any serious student of medieval illumination, as well as for the simple pleasure of enjoying its outstanding beauty.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Reproduction of an Amazing Book
Review: The Visconti Hours, one of the most luxurious and unusual Italian Books of Hours from around 1400, is magnificently reproduced in this facimile edition. The introductory text begins with an excellent summary of the political and social context of the book's production for Giangaleazzo Visconti, its noble owner. It continues with a discussion of the book's structure, iconography, and painting techniques, and includes short biographies of the two artists.

The plates themselves are of particularly high quality, sharp, clear, and brilliant, with gold stamping. The commentaries are informative.

All in all, this book is a must-have for any serious student of medieval illumination, as well as for the simple pleasure of enjoying its outstanding beauty.