Once in a while I like to write about something medieval that supposed to had been serious, but somehow came out a bit ridiculous. That kind of post was the one about strange food in the depictions of the Last Supper (available HERE) or the one about misrepresented image of…
Medieval literature and art show us that the lovers’ gift back then was not so much a bunch of flowers, but rather a wreath: a ring made of flowers and ribbons. Such a love symbol is mentioned in the 13th-century Roman de la Rose, and we may also see it…
Some time ago I have written about animals from medieval bestiaries (post available HERE) and back then I have mentioned that this topic is a subject for more than one post. That post focused on “real” animals described in medieval books, so now it is time to take a look…
Since many years now I have a pleasure to run lectures during calligraphy & illumination workshops provided by Barbara Bodziony. Obviously, those lectures focus on medieval manuscripts. Medieval books’ lovers usually are familiar with particular 12th century miniature, depicting monk working in scriptorium, inscribed as a portrait of scribe called…
In the Archives of the Cracow Cathedral Chapter there is a manuscript Liber Privilegiorum no 2, containing an ink votive drawing: the oldest survived work of art of that kind in Poland. The drawing depicts a donor, which is Cracow Bishop and the firs Polish cardinal, Zbigniew Oleśnicki (1389-1455), worshiping…