#histoire de lart
Miniatures - A Lesson in Red Pigment
The lay definition of miniature is a small illustration found in both medieval manuscripts and elsewhere. Codicology utilizes a narrower conception of the term, referring to any illustration in a medieval manuscript that uses red (lat. miniare).
In medieval manuscripts, two elements were used to make red pigment. The first was cinnabar, a mercury sulphide found in mines. The other, minium (sound familiar?), came from roasting ceruse (white lead) until it turned red.
Medieval copyists also used less deadly methods to make red colorants. Brazil wood, imported from southeast Asia, contained red pigments that could be extracted and mixed with an agglutinating agent.
Above is a miniature from Le Roman de Tristan, a 14th-century story from France. As you can see, the red here makes the definition.
Location:La bibliothèque nationale de France, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52503108b/f8.item
Usage Rights: public domain
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