Central European Schools IX (ca. 1450 - 1500). Bohemia - Moravia - Silesia - Hungary

The project aims to catalog all illuminated manuscripts originating from Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Hungary, which have been produced in the period from approx. 1450 to 1500 and which are now held by the Austrian National Library in Vienna. The catalog will focus on the book decoration of the codices and thus offer descriptions from an art historical perspective. The description of the stylistic elements and their scientific assessment will be devoted to the work of individual illuminators, masters of pen-work and workshop contexts as well as to the analysis of typical regional iconographic and technical aspects. However, the catalog will also consider other aspects of the book, such as codicology (study of book covers, watermarks), paleography, provenance research and text analysis. Although the second half of the 15th Century was marked by an increasing use of engravings and the spreading invention of printing, the new media helped to internationalize and enrich the stylistic repertoire of Central European illuminators. Only gradually they had to give up their traditional field of Bible and missal decoration this loss, however, was replaced by the production of precious prayer books and hymn books. Special highlights will be manuscripts commissioned by Georg I. de Münsterberg (grandson of King George of Podebrady), by King Matthias Corvinus referring to manuscripts, which were illuminated in Ofen/Hungary by Hungarian artists and by King Vladislav II. Jagiello; furthermore, richly decorated choir books made for Bohemian Utraquist brotherhoods, such as the Kutn Hora-Gradual and the Smšek-Gradual, which represent milestones of late gothic painting in Bohemia. Yet also lesser known and many unknown manuscripts will be presented in this volume and will help to complete the overall picture, e.g. illuminated books from the charterhouse near Brno or decorated miscellanies, theological commentaries, books on Bohemian history and antique literature, originating from parish libraries and anonymous private collections. The projected catalog shall form part of the Veröffentlichungen zum Schrift- und Buchwesen des Mittelalters. Reihe 1. Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek. Apart from the printed book, the catalog will be offered online as an eBook according to the open-access policy, it will be linked with the website Manuscripta Mediaevalia (www.manuscripta-mediaevalia.de ), with the website for Medieval manuscripts in Austrian libraries (http://www.manuscripta.at/_scripts/php/manuscripts.php, hosted by the Austrian Academy of Sciences) and with the online database "HANNA" of the Austrian National Library. In this way, it will be well-connected with other scientific institutions and open for research on an international level.

Manuscripts and incunabula of the middle ages are cornerstones of our cultural heritage. Especially in correlation with the text, decoration and image prove to be important historical sources, however, for the most part were left unexplored. This project therefore investigated the illuminated manuscripts and incunabula from Austria`s largest manuscript collection, the National Library. The partition dedicated to "Central European Schools IX (about 1450-1500). Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and Hungary" forms part of a series of art-historically oriented catalogues founded by Otto Pächt. It focuses on the stylistic classification and grouping of manuscripts, on identification and localization of illuminators and workshops in Eastern Central Europe. On the basis of old text catalogues, depot reviews, and further thorough research we were able to identify 84 illuminated manuscripts and incunabula from the second half of the 15th century, taking into account the books held by the National Librarys manuscripts- and incunabula collection, and also by its music collection. In synopsis of all available information from art history and history, text and codicology (including watermark and cover analysis) the illuminated medieval books can now be dated and localized more precisely, respectively correct previous assignments (including important highlights of Bohemian book illumination, like the Kutn Hora Graduals). In this way, we gain insight into artistic developments, which eventually brought forth influential artists like Valentin Noh or Jan Zmlely z Psku. Mostly, however, it was anonymous book painters, who worked according to late-medieval workshop practice in artists collectives. In addition, it was in the nature of the mobile medium that scribes or printers and book illuminators did not necessarily have to originate from the same region or work at the same period of time. Ultimately, every illumination contains valuable information, which goes beyond the text, and sheds light on the paths of books and people, their networks and special interests. Therewith, this catalogue does not only list the Eastern European illuminated manuscripts and incunabula of the Austrian National Library as artefacts. It expands and corrects our view on book illumination at times, which announced decisive changes in book production by the invention of print known as "Gutenberg`s Age", characterized by profound religious and social upheavals, Turkish invasions as well as by territorial and dynastic power shifts in Eastern Central Europe.