Art is represented in many things or has many facets. It is not only an oil painting or digital design that is art.
I recently attended, by chance, an exhibition of antique books of great artistic, literary and historical quality.
As the name of the exhibition suggests, what I saw was truly wonderful, because the antiquity and beauty of these books is unparalleled.
Each illustration was so well cared for and executed that I was engrossed in looking at the details.
It was a pleasure to look through glass case after glass case and admire what each glass box contained.
Many caught my interest and surprised me. All these books date from a period between the 8th and 16th century. Really old and very valuable.
This one is a treatise on alchemy and the illustrations decorating the words contained therein are beautiful.
I love medicinal plants and herbs, and in this case I was able to see a very old book on this subject. A great find and I enjoyed what I saw.
I was delighted to see this ancient atlas, maps that showed the earth in a different way to how we know it now. A work enhanced by cartographers in conjunction with artists. Their illustrations are of enormous value.
This other atlas is even more wonderful, because according to the sign on the side, this literary work contains 15 nautical charts and a calendar, in addition to the incredible illustrations. Truly fantastic.
I also found religious books, very important at that time, and what I liked the most were the details in gold along with the illustrations.
I was even able to see a book about hunting, with very representative drawings and full of bright colours.
The subject of wellness and health has always been an important topic and this book deals with the rules of hygiene in the Middle Ages.
Once again I am surprised by the history, the quality and the drawings in the book.
The artwork in this one is also amazing. A book about the apocalypse in that historical moment. The text was not only in Latin but also in French.
Books about kings have always existed and this one is dedicated to Henry VII.
The last and not least book that caught my attention is called the Treatise of Albumasar. It dates from the Middle Ages and deals with mythology, antiquity and enlightenment from the author's Arabic perspective.
To the eye this book shines in beauty, because of its illustrations. The book is divided into two parts, one of which is devoted especially to astrology.
All these books and some more were part of this exhibition, but they are kept in libraries and museums of great importance all over the world.
It was a pleasure to find this display of so much art in its various forms and a luxury to admire so much beauty, history and literature in a great moment of humanity.
Greetings to all and see you next time.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own, taken with my phone
Separators created by me in Photoshop
Used translator Deepl.com free version