ARTH 176A Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Johannes Gutenberg, Ebbo Gospels, William Morris
30 Apr 2018
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Johann Gutenberg and the Printing Press; Developments in Typography
Self-Study: Terms for Type
Terms: Medieval European Manuscripts
Scribe
Scriptorium
Vellum
Illuminated manuscripts
Chi-rho-iota (XPI), folio 34 recto of the Book of Kells, probably from Iona, Scotland, late 8th or
early ninth century, tempera on vellum (skin, goat skin and etc, expensive and fewer copies and
less people with access to it, withstand time better) Dublin
● Some are illiterate
● Teachability of images
● People become uncomfortable, you shouldn't look at images because of dowry
● Should view images related to god
● Flourishing of imagery, church has sanction this idea
● Christ
● By looking at this object, you become closer to god
● Significant of intertwining? The longer you look at something, the less you look at things
everyday. The more you empty your mind the closer you will be able to communicate
with God. Communication through God with close looking
● Interlacing, your eye follow this pattern and keeps going in, out, around, loses a sense of
time and space. Not think about this world but think about the celestial world
● Not intended to teach anybody because held in sacred spaces within the monstaries
● Not extending the art
● At least 100 people see it within a year
Historiated Initial
Rufillus, Initial R, folio 224 Recto of a Passional from Weissenau, Germany, ca.
● Male monks
● Called rufillus because of his red hair
● Rufus means red in latin
Initial R with knight fighting dragons
● Text hierarchy
● Think of Tschichold
The works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1896) Kelmscott Press
● 3 decades of labor
Psalm 109 from the orm -
Saint Matthew, folio 18 verso of the Ebbo Gospels from Hautvillers Framce, Ca. 816-835, ink
and tempera on vellum
● The act of copying of what you see, become closer to god
● Copying illuminated manuscript
● Desire to keep it origin
Saint Matthew, folio 15 the coronation
Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum Tenth Century
Framework used to generate text
● Used a string to draw the line and measure properly
Johann Gutenberg: printing press:
● does not change the manuscript, but does change the mass production and who is
accessible
● Not changing the aesthetics, changing how they are produce
● Around 1454
● Gutenberg printing press was taken away from Gutenberg
● Mass production of books, more cheaper, more people can buy it
● Illuminated manuscript is for the elethete
● Philosophical of religion
● Workshops in europe, paris, london, spain, poland, and netherland
Making Type
A. Hand Carved punch
● First printed book is the Gutenberg Bible
○ 1282 pages in two volumes;
○ 2500 characters per page
○ 210 copies mae; 180 printed on paper, 30 printed on vellum
○ The 30 vellum copies used 5,000 calf skins
○ 300 pages per day
Gutenberg Bible, Blackletter Type, 1454-1455
● Continuity
Textura // Fraktur
Gutenberg Bible, 1454-55. Detail of annotated margin; exegesis
Exegesis: “an explanation or critical interpretation of a text.”
Wenceslas Bible Germany, c1390s manuscript (done by hand)
Document Summary
Johann gutenberg and the printing press; developments in typography. People become uncomfortable, you shouldn"t look at images because of dowry. Flourishing of imagery, church has sanction this idea. By looking at this object, you become closer to god. The longer you look at something, the less you look at things everyday. The more you empty your mind the closer you will be able to communicate with god. Interlacing, your eye follow this pattern and keeps going in, out, around, loses a sense of time and space. Not think about this world but think about the celestial world. Not intended to teach anybody because held in sacred spaces within the monstaries. At least 100 people see it within a year. Rufillus, initial r, folio 224 recto of a passional from weissenau, germany, ca. Called rufillus because of his red hair. The works of geoffrey chaucer (1896) kelmscott press. Saint matthew, folio 18 verso of the ebbo gospels from hautvillers framce, ca.
