illinoisrbml:Decorated initialsare among the most striking features of manuscripts, but they were no
illinoisrbml:Decorated initialsare among the most striking features of manuscripts, but they were not widelyattested until the Middle Ages. Books were rarely decorated in the ancientworld because, even though literacy rates were higher, oratory remained the principalmeans of delivery while the physical books and scrolls were relegated to supportingroles. This wonderfulhistoriated initial comes from the opening of our copy of the La regle saintBenoit, a French translation of the Rule of Saint Benedict. The illustrationshows Saint Benedict addressing four attentive nuns. The artist incorporatessuggestive details that give the scene a liveliness that is surprising for sosmall a picture. The nun closest to Benedict points to a passage, as if askingfor clarification. Benedict holds his book closed, appearing to keep his placewith his index finger as he pauses to answer a question. The initialintroduces the sentence, Escoute filleles coma[n]demens de ton maître [Listen, daughters, to the commandments ofyour teacher]. It may seem odd that the initial, so appealing to the eye,introduces the injunction to “listen.” It reflects a cultural milieu in whichthe reception of texts was both auditory and visual. JCBenedict,Saint, Abbot of Monte Cassino. La regle saint Benoit. ([Lorraine, approximately 1275-1300]). Pre-1650 MS 0098 -- source link
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