illumination
1
8.1
- noun
- /ɪˌluːməˈneɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
iluminación (manuscrita)
- The recapture of Akko in 1191 by Richard the Lionheart is celebrated in this medieval manuscript illumination.
- manuscript illumination
- medieval illumination
Examples
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The illumination of books was, at this time, still almost exclusively the privilege of monastic and cathedral scriptoria.
Academic text (1999) -
Yet several of these illuminations were unequivocally inspired by seals.
Academic text (1999) -
But the opening illumination provides clear evidence that this artist was familiar with Berrichon painting of the mid-twelfth century.
Academic text (1999) -
The elegant traditional patterns, with richly decorated envelopes, are reminiscent of the illuminations found in medieval manuscripts.
Blog text (27) -
Another key characteristic that sets Francesco d'Antonio's frontispiece illumination apart from that of his contemporaries is, in fact, the vivacity and playfulness of the figures.
Academic text (2008) -
Some illuminators responded ambitiously to the task, such as those that decorated the Cartulary of Mont-St-Michel with full-page illuminations.
Academic text (1999) -
The medieval manuscript featured exquisite illuminations that depicted intricate religious scenes.
-
Scholars study various illuminations in historical texts to understand the art styles of the time.
-
This book includes several illuminations that highlight key moments in the story.
Synonyms
66
2.8
A picture in a book that helps explain or decorate the text
45
3.0
Pictures and drawings used in a book or magazine
1
5.5
A small detailed painting often found in old books
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A way of lighting a sample under a microscope to make tiny things look bright against a dark background
- Specialized
A way to see tiny things under a microscope as bright shapes on a dark background
- Specialized
A measure of how much light falls on a surface, for example the lux
How Ornate
Surface Forms
Morphology
illumination = illuminate (opaque) = illuminate + ation
Formally built from 'illuminate' + '-ation', but the specialized art-historical sense 'a decorated manuscript painting' is domain-specific and not predictable from the general meaning 'to give light' for an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Illumination comes from Latin in- ('in') and lumin ('light'). Medieval artists used gold and bright paint to 'light up' pages, so a painted decoration in a book was called an illumination.