German Medieval Book Miniature

Abstract

The art of the book miniature of the Romance era is interesting due to the fact that by studying it we can study the history of medieval art, discover various trends of style, observe the development of the iconography of various subjects and even find the reflection of various events of the political and spiritual life of the medieval Europe. The art of the book miniature was blooming as early as the Carolingian Period. Following Charles’s order, scriptoria were being created throughout Germany. They were workshops at monasteries primarily aimed at producing illustrated and richly decorated manuscripts. With the development of medieval culture, the art of book design was also developing and decoration devices were becoming more and more diverse. The turn of the 13th century marked a new period of book painting development. Spreading literacy, the influence of chivalry and courtesy brought about new story lines as well as new contents. Secular literature, historical treatises, collections of legends and tales of chivalry are emerging. We can surely speak of the fact that the medieval art of German book miniature was the beginning of a long-term historical process that lead to the further prosperity of book painting.