Curlicues

Written by

Ophelia Benson

in

A thing happening in Oxford:

The University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries is set to open a new exhibition looking at some of the earliest examples of English graphic design.

On display at the Weston Library from next month, Designing English: Graphics on the Medieval Page will largely showcase the work of Anglo-Saxon and Medieval scribes, painters and engravers dating from the fifth to the 15th century.

Last time I was at the Bodleian (which was a long time ago) I think I bought just about every postcard they had with medieval graphic design on it.

I just wanted to share the illustration Design Week chose:

Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

Comments

4 responses to “Curlicues”

  1. Silentbob Avatar
    Silentbob

    Gosh. It’s said to be late 8th, early 9th century.

    I’m tickled by the unselfconscious anthropomorphism.

    In this copy of Gregory the Great’s translated Pastoral Care, sent between 890 and 897 to Wærferth, Bishop of Worcester, the book ‘speaks’ (bottom left) and tells how Alfred ‘sent me to his scribes north and south’ with an æstel or pointer.

    And there follows a comment from the pointer. :-)

    This jewel from Alfred’s era seems to be the handle of such a pointer, and written round the side in gold capitals is ‘AELFRED MEC HEHT GEVVYRCAN’. ‘Alfred had me made’. It is unclear whether Alfred designed it.

  2. vanitas Avatar
    vanitas

    Gorgeous!

  3. Omar Avatar
    Omar

    I love the scrollwork, which is very Celtic, or derived therefrom.

    Ancestral voices.

  4. latsot Avatar
    latsot

    Beautiful. I wonder how works of art like this get done. Was it an idea, intact and of itself that got drawn? Or was it more like a doodle that evolved in the drawing?

    Some years ago there were two local sisters who were moderately famous artists. They painted the same canvas. One started on the left, the other started on the right and they met in the middle. It sounds implausible but I know the family well and they say it’s true.

    I don’t have a point, really, just awe that (other) people can do such brilliant things.

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