Religious books

The British Library's collections include numerous illuminated manuscripts. Many of them are from the Christian tradition and depict the stories associated with the important people of the Old and New Testament. Monks painstakingly hand-painted illuminated manuscripts with amazing detail. The manuscripts were sold to wealthy individuals or churches.

The illuminations are rich in visual clues, or iconography. Religious people, such as priests and some parishioners would have understood the symbols within the illustrations. The symbolism was a vital means of delivering a spiritual message to whoever saw the page. Some messages were conveyed through the colour of garments or the actions of people. For example, Mary is usually wearing blue - the colour of Heaven.

The manuscripts that have been chosen for this topic illustrate Jesus Christ's life story. They are interesting to compare, as they describe one event in Christian history, yet represent it in different ways. This encourages consideration into the reasons behind the differences and consequently the purposes of the manuscripts.