Nature Illuminated edited by Lee Hendrix and Thea Vignau-Wilberg

A collection of 41 pages from the Mira calligraphiae monumenta (the Model Book of Calligraphy) a collection of calligraphy and miniature painting from the court of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. Master calligrapher Georg Bocskay assembled a vast selection of contemporary and historical scripts, while court artist Joris Hoefnagel filled spaces on each manuscript page with images of flora and fauna. A rare marvel from the Central European Renaissance, reproduced on the pages of this lovely little book.

"The Model Book of Calligraphy stands at an art historical crossroad. It constitutes one of the last important monuments in the grand tradition of medieval European manuscript illumination. In addition to its meticulous studies of flora and fauna, it points directly to the emergence of floral still life painting, an essentially new artistic genre of the seventeenth century." -- Introduction.

Edited by Lee Hendrix and Thea Vignau-Wilberg. First published by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1992. Hardcover; 64 pages; 7.25" x 5.25"