Every week in Associate Professor Margaret Zaho’s class, students medieval art Classes will take you back in time and bring you closer to history with an immersive hands-on experience. Advanced courses cover art from the 5th century to his 13th century. Through collaborations with the UCF Library’s Special Collections and University Archives, Zaho creates innovative projects that help students fully appreciate and appreciate the art of this period, including painting, architecture, sculpture, stained glass, and illuminated manuscripts. I found a way.
Unlike the classical Greek and Roman periods and the popular Renaissance, Zaho feels that the Middle Ages is one of the least understood and least taught periods in terms of art and architecture, and she I think there is a gap in the art history curriculum that I want to fill. In this course, Zaho aims to highlight the many overlooked yet fascinating features of this era and even put an end to some common misconceptions.
“My banner is to remind people that the Middle Ages and the period of medieval art were not dark,” Zaho says. “They weren’t lost. They weren’t forgotten. On the contrary, they were incredible examples of craftsmanship and very colorful. The ‘Dark Ages’ are just a misnomer. That’s how it’s called. There’s nothing gloomy about the Middle Ages. ”
Because the period of medieval art coincides with the rise of the codex and the replacement of traditional scrolls, students learn about and engage with illuminated manuscripts, ornate texts decorated with elaborate margins. Since most illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages are inaccessible due to age or restrictions, such as the illuminated manuscript of Virgil of the Vatican, 400 AD, which is owned by the Vatican and access is severely restricted, students can instead study reproductions of manuscripts, very detailed Work with exact replicas.
“Manuscript equipment is usually made in Germany or Switzerland… in a sense for access,” Zaho explains. “So if you’re an academic, you might not be able to go to the Vatican, you might not be able to get permission to see Virgil in the Vatican, but you can get a facsimile of an illuminated manuscript made in the 1970s. It is, at the moment, an accurate representation of Virgil in the Vatican. This means that even if a page is cut out or something is missing, the facsimile of the manuscript will reproduce exactly that. ”
ARH4200 students have the opportunity to view and process the illuminated manuscript facsimiles studied in class.
“It’s great for my students to talk about copying manuscripts, to go to the library and see the works in person, to see actual 15th-century folios, to understand what parchment actually looks like and what it looks like. It’s one thing to know, the ink is on top,” she says. “For me, it’s part of active learning. Everything is fine within the classroom, but any opportunity to make it real and tangible I’ll take advantage of.”
Sam Sonken, a student in the class, recounts his experience working with these precious materials.
“Special Collections has a huge variety of manuscript reproductions,” says Sonken. “It allowed me to find a text that stood out to me, the Ashmole Bestiary, and I was able to go through the entire text from beginning to end with several other like-minded students. There is a unique value in appreciating genuine manuscripts, not just reproductions.Although they were too delicate to handle, looking at genuine manuscripts reveals the effort, value, and cultural significance that original manuscripts possess. It conveys the importance.”
These educational opportunities are provided through the efforts of the UCF Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives. In 2008, while Zaho was library representative for the College of Arts and Humanities, she and her then-director of collections allocated funds to acquire additional manuscript copies. Through the dedicated work of Special Collections and the University Archives, the UCF Libraries currently has a collection of more than 120 manuscripts. These materials were useful in a variety of fields, including bookbinding, Renaissance studies, text and technology, and illustration.
“UCF probably has the best collection of illuminated manuscripts in the state. We have the original 14th and 15th century foliage, or folios, of the Antiphonal, as well as very early printed folios from the early 16th century. “I have some Biblical examples where it has been done,” she says. “We are very fortunate to have collaborative partners in Special Collections and University Archives, led by David Benjamin, book conservator, Christopher Sachlo ’09was one of my students in this medieval art class. We had a great full-circle moment. I’m really proud of what we have here at UCF, and if I can incorporate the resources of UCF’s Special Collections and University Archives into my education, it’s a win-win for everyone. ”
Learn more about UCF Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives.