Friday, 19 August 2016

Everything is Illuminated!



Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK
30 July – 30 December

This superb (and free) exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge reveals  artisans’ secrets of creating illuminated manuscripts. Tracing the history of illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, this show informs and entertains with two dazzling galleries of treasures. 

You will learn about the pigments used to create the vibrant colours, and how special effects were created.(I had read about the sources of pigments in Victoria Finlay's fascinating book. Colour, which was on sale in the gift shop.) I especially enjoyed seeing the artists’ pattern books and colour manuals. 

The show reveals the high-tech detective methods used by curators and conservators to research and restore precious manuscripts. 

If you are looking for a Bank Holiday activity, Colour is well worth a trip.

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