Illuminated Letters
Definition
Illuminated letters can be found in handwritten books traditionally copied by monks during the medieval time period. Often, the first letter of the first word in a chapter was decorated with gold, brilliant colors, elaborate designs and miniature art work.
Links for Illuminated Letter Activities
David Lifting up His Soul to God in an Initial E, ca. 1455–60/63
Franco dei Russi (Ferrarese, documented 1453–1482)
Frontispiece from an antiphonary
Image courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art
This initial, from a very early 13th-century manuscript of Peter Lombard's Great Gloss on St. Paul, shows Peter Lombard as the bearded scholar with quill and knife.
Anonymous letter designs from an 18th-century alphabet, Netherlands
Sonoran Desert Homeschoolers' Medieval Center
Clipart courtesy of
Melissa Snell from About.com's Medieval History
Click on these sample images for more information
