BOSTON — A group of Boston museums have partnered for a shared exhibition of medieval illuminated manuscripts described by the president of the Boston Public Library as "unprecedented."
Jeffrey Hamburger, an art historian and Harvard University professor, tells The Boston Globe the exhibition of about 250 pieces is "easily" the most ambitious display of illuminated manuscripts ever held in North America.
An "illuminated manuscript" is a blanket term used for medieval and Renaissance texts featuring ornate decoration with colored pigment or gold leaf.
Among the treasured works are an early 12th century gospel book and a 13th century psalm book.
The exhibition, set to debut in September, will be showcased under different themes at Harvard's Houghton Library, the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/NC6MQJC7CFGHJFVZVZRK223T54.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/A6ITVQI6VZF5TIX3ERJ63S3JBY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CHOCE4AIWJHN3DBFYSXW56R7QY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/5UUGY7MW5VBHBPSSXDYWAP323A.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/TYTNGUJJDNHKVE3OM3DZPZWTVQ.png)