Description

This book is the first comprehensive survey of the book trade and illumination in late medieval Tournai. It presents the results of a thorough documentary study . From both a historiographical and archival point of view, it aims to reassess the concept of the "Tournai school of illumination", which emerged in the 19th century and annexed such prestigious names as Simon Marmion, Jean Tavernier or Roger Van der Weyden. Comparing the Tournaisian records with those of neigbouring cities, the author situates the importance of the city as book market within the network of South Netherlandish production centres. At the same time, he examines in detail the craft of illumination in this region and comes up with a new status quaestionis. The study includes in appendix the complete body of Tournaisian documents mentioning manuscripts, as well as an extensive biographical list of book makers, from the 13th to the 16th century. Hence, it is also an essential reference book, which lays the foundations of a systematic study of book illumination in Tournai.