Jonathan Sumption

The magic of manuscripts

After years of studying these fragile artefacts, Mary Wellesley has established a special bond with the creators, authors, scribes and parchment makers

A woman illuminating The Book of the Prudent and Imprudent by Catherine d’Amboise, 1509. [Bridgeman Images] 
issue 02 October 2021

  • Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers

    Mary Wellesley

    Riverrun, pp. 454, £25

Manuscripts have something of the appeal of drawings. They bring you closer to the creative process. Even a copy adds something special to the text: an editorial twist, a decorated initial, a margin full of beasts or just a beautiful script in which every letter is fashioned by hand like no other.

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