Manuscripts as Masterworks

Some of the finest medieval art survives in illuminated manuscripts. The Book of Kells (c. 800 CE), the Très Riches Heures (c. 1412-16), and countless others contain miniature paintings of extraordinary detail and invention. A single decorated initial could take weeks to complete.

The Bayeux Tapestry — technically an embroidery — runs 230 feet long and tells the story of the Norman Conquest in sequential scenes that work like a medieval comic strip. It remains one of the most ambitious narrative artworks ever produced.