Research

Tine Melis, Commercial book production in the Southern Netherlands: organized collaboration or individual initiative? Workshop practice and patronage from 1330 to 1380 in a historical perspective: the Roman d'Alexandre (Oxford, Bodleian Library, ms Bodley 264): a case study. Supervisor: Bert Cardon. Co-supervisor: Jan Van der Stock.

In the late 13th century and the early years of the 14th, book production underwent an important change in character. Manuscripts, which up to that time had usually been the property of a group of readers, mainly religious, were now increasingly commissioned by individuals. This growing demand had an important influence on the production of illuminated manuscripts. The illuminators searched for and experimented with new and faster ways of illuminating. A number of these production processes can be identified by means of a stylistic analysis of the Roman d’Alexandre (Oxford, Bodleian Library, ms Bodley 264), a manuscript from the De Grise workshop. Moreover, on the basis of stylistic examination the study links a number of manuscripts to the same workshop. It gives a picture of the increasing importance of the patron and his/her impact on illumination, particularly the marginal decoration and the production processes in the workshop.

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