In the 15th and 16th centuries, printed books became more accessible; however, missals, due to their use of the Latin language and their purpose—being used by priests in the celebration of Mass—were intended for a limited circle of users. Liturgical books continued to represent the pinnacle of book production in early print. The appearance of missals was, of course, dependent on all those involved in the creation of these important liturgical books: the paper maker, bookbinder, type-caster, printer, patron, illustrator, and engraver.
The discussed missals are preserved in the Ljubljana National and University Library, the Seminary Library, and the library of the National Museum of Slovenia. In missals, the Crucifixion is considered to be the most important and representative image, usually occupying the most prominent position in the centre of the book and being a full-page illustration. The originality and quality of the woodcut decoration varies; missals can be lavishly decorated and include multiple frontispiece pages and smaller scenes within frames or initials. Sometimes the execution is rather modest, and even the canonical image is missing.
The question of how much of the graphic work is original remains open. For the period under consideration, the circulation of graphic prints and the copying of effective compositions were quite common. Book illustrations also played a significant role as graphic models in other fine arts, such as sculpture and panel painting. In particular, inventive compositions or poses were often translated into these artistic media.
|
