Beyond gorgeous: Illuminated Manuscripts from Boston Collections

HYPERALLERGIC
By Natasha Seaman
Taking of Christ, p. 22 from the Bourdichon Hours, Jean Bourdichon (illuminator), Tours, France (c. 1515-20), Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 6.T.1
BOSTON, Mass. — The book has today nearly become a shadow of itself, threatening to dissipate into the digital ether. E-readers aside, unless you’re into first editions and signed books, pretty much any copy of Valley of the Dolls or A Tale of Two Cities will give you exactly what another one would. Before the printing press, by contrast, books had heft and individuality. The multitude of objects across the three exhibitions means that you can pick up any number of themes to focus on as you go from show to show. For instance, you can consider the transition from the manuscript to the printed book, a main element of the Gardner exhibit. [link]


Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: "Beyond Words: Illuminated Manuscripts in Boston Collections" (Through January 16, 10`7); 25 Evans Way, Boston, MA; 25 Evans Way, Boston MA; gardnermuseum.org