Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

360 Ai-ts and C1·afts in tlie l\'Iiddle Ages

advaпtage in Italy, and is seen chiefly in t11e illumiпa­ tioпs of the g1·eat choгal books ,vhich ,vere used in the choiгs of chшches. One book seгved for all the singers in those days, and it ,vas placed uроп an open lectern in the middle of the choiг, so tЬat all the singeгs could see it: it \Vill Ье readily understoocl that the 1etteгing had to Ье generous, and the page ve1·y laгge for this ршроsе. The decoration of tl1csc books took on the cЬaracteгistics of breadtl1 iп keepiпg ,vitЬ theiг diшen­ sioпs, and of la1·ge masses of ornaшent гаtl1ег tl1an deli­ cate mea11de1·. Tl1e style of the Italian choral books is an агt iп itself. The Books of Ношs апd l\fissals developed dшiпg the fiftecnth апd sixteeпtl1 centшies into positive a1·t galle1·ies, ,vhole pages bei11g occupied Ьу paintings, the vc1lum beiпg entirely hidden Ьу the dcco1·ation. The агt of illuшination declined as the агt of шiniature paint­ ing progressed. The fact that the aгtist ,Yas decorating а page in а book \Yas lost sight of in his aшЬition to paint а series of sшall pictures. The gliпt of bшnished gold on the soft sшfасе of the vellшn ,vas no longer considered elegant, and these more elaboгate pictшes oftcn left not even а margin, so that the pictшes шight as ,vell have been exccuted 011 рарее and canvas and framed separate1y, f01· they do not suggest oгnaments iп а book afte1· this chaпge had taken place. Letteгiпg is hardly introduced at all on the same page \Vith the illнstгati9n, or, when it is, is placed in а little taЫet which is simply pa1·t of tl1e geneгal scheme.