Italian art of this period also in some degree affected the illumination
of southern German MSS.
We have also to note the occurrence in Italy in the 14th century of good
illustrative outline drawings, generally tinted in light colours, and
occasionally we meet with a wonderfully bright style of illumination of
a lighter cast of colouring than usually prevails in Italian art: such
as may be seen in a MS. of Durandus _De divinis oficiis_ (Brit. Mus.,
Add. MS. 31,032) containing an exquisite series of initials and borders.
Taking a general view of the character of European illumination in the
14th century it may be described as an art of great invention and
flexibility. The rigid exactness of the 13th century is replaced by
flowing lines, just as the stiff, formal strokes of the handwriting of
that century was exchanged for a more cursive and easy style. The art of
each individual country now developed a national type of its own, which
again branched off into the different styles of provincial schools. For
example, in the eastern counties of England a very fine school of
illumination, the East Anglian, was established in the first half of the
century and produced a series of beautiful MSS., such as the _Arundel
Psalter_ (No. 83) in the British Museum.
Distinctive Borders.
By the end of the century the borders had developed on national lines so
fully as to become, more than any other detail in the general scheme,
the readiest means of identifying the country of origin. First as to the
English border: the favour shown to the introduction of natural growths
among the conventional foliage thrown out from the frame into which the
border had by this time expanded has already been noticed. But now a new
feature is introduced. The frame up to this time had consisted generally
of conventional branches with bosses at the corners. Now it is divided
more into compartments within which twining coils of ornament resembling
cut feather-work are common details; and feathery scrolls fill the
corner-bosses and are attached to other parts of the frame; while the
foliage thrown out into the margin takes the form of sprays of curious
lobe- or spoon-shaped and lozenge-shaped leaves or flowers, with others
resembling curled feathers, and with cup- and trumpet-shaped flowers.
This new style of border is contemporaneous with the appearance of a
remarkably brilliant style in the miniatures, good in drawing and rich
in colouring; and an explanation for the change has been sought in
foreign influence. It has been suggested, with some plausibility, that
this influence comes from the school of Prague, through the marriage of
Richard II. with Anne of Bohemia in 1382. However this may be, there
certainly is a decidedly German sentiment in the feathery scrolls just
described.
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