What Is Codex Art History?

Art|Art History

Codex art history is a field of study that focuses on the history and development of manuscript books. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from the disciplines of literature, history, archaeology, and art.

The field is concerned with the physical form of manuscripts, their production, circulation, and use in different societies. Codex art history also looks at how manuscripts have been interpreted over time.

Manuscripts are books written by hand on parchment or paper. They are distinct from printed books because each one was created individually by a scribe or artist.

Manuscripts can include religious texts, literary works, scientific treatises, maps and so on. Codex art history seeks to understand how these manuscripts were made and used by different cultures.

The study of codex art history involves looking at the materials used to make manuscripts such as parchment or paper; the techniques used to write them such as calligraphy or illumination; the form they take such as scrolls or codices; and their circulation in society. It also looks at how manuscripts have been interpreted over time by different readerships.

Codex art historians often use a range of sources to construct their studies including visual analysis of manuscripts; textual analysis of texts contained within manuscripts; archaeological evidence such as binding material; historical evidence such as documents related to a manuscript’s provenance; and even theories from other fields such as anthropology.

What Is Codex Art History?

Codex art history is a field of study that focuses on understanding the physical form, production methods, circulation and use of manuscript books in different societies over time. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from literature, history, archaeology and art and uses a range of sources for its investigations including visual analysis, textual analysis and archaeological evidence.