Faith with Humour - A psalter-breviary, ca. 1300, from Laon

Book art at its finest! This volume presents a distinguished French Gothic prayer book in a lavish and playful light. The breviarys illuminated texts are marvellously executed: cheerful and whimsical motifs with tiny figures and bustling creatures enliven the manuscript pages, shown here as part of a dedicated monograph. Large reproductions and numerous details celebrate the imaginative decorative art that makes leafing through the book a delight. Compact in form yet exhilarating to the eye, the special charm of this medieval manuscripts decorated pages is highlighted in a new beautifully produced volume. With precision and exquisite colouration, large initial letters are filled with figurative scenes while lively marginalia teem with intricate vignettes and fantastical beings. These details offer a light-hearted yet enriching complement to the prayer books contents. Originally produced for the Abbey of St Martin in Laon in northern France, and later passing through various private collections, it stands as a prime example of the influential French illumination tradition so admired in Cologne. A treasure for lovers of exceptional book art and indeed for everyone!