Illuminated Poetry

French illuminated manuscript, c. 1330

History

Making copies of a written work took much time and effort before the invention of the printing press. Before then, each page of a book was handwritten by scribes or monks. Particularly important works for the church or wealthy patrons were illuminated with bright colors and gold leaf. The page to the right is from The Romance of Lancelot du Lac, written in France around 1300. The page might look like an ancient children’s book, complete with illustrations. This is appropriate because both words (“illuminate” and “illustrate”) come from the Latin illustrationem, meaning “vivid representation.”