Drawing in the Middle Ages
The Metropolitan Art Museum has a rare and extremely fascinating exhibit on Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages. These are drawings that will, most likely, never be seen again as they are hidden away in the great monasteries and libraries of England. Dating from 800 to around 1340AD, the exhibit covers the intriguing combination of scribes and illustrators ranging from religious works to the secular.
The early works are all found in books and were thought of as the highest form of artwork. These illustrations are final products and not a means to another idea, as art is often used today. Line drawing was appreciated and works, such as the Psalms, were illustrated literally although the text so often was metaphorical.
As the age progresses medieval scholars began using illustration as scientific work. The exhibit contains books of physiology and anatomy as seen in the early 12th century. Displayed, most fascinatingly, are anatomical diagrams of the nervous, arterial, skeletal, and muscular systems which monks drew as way to preserve texts that would not survive.
I found the collection fascinating and inspiring. What may seem at a quick glance to be simple sketches, when looked at more closely are exquisite works. Some of the parchments are uncut, so much so that you can actually see the spine of the animal.
The exhibit opens Tuesday, June 2nd and lasts through August 23rd. Outstanding!
