03 — ARTWORK
Codex Manesse
- MEDIUM
- Manuscript (Codex Pal. Germ. 848), 355 x 250 mm
- TYPE
- Other
PALETTE
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COMMENTARY
UNDERLINED TERMS ARE DEFINED IN THE GLOSSARY.
Codex Manesse 1310-40 Manuscriptcollective term for books or other documents written by hand; in a specific sense, the hand-written medieval book, the Codex manuscriptus, often ornamented with decorative borders, illuminated initials and miniatures, and containing works of ancient philosophy or scholarly, ecclesiastical, and literary texts. Manuscripts were usually produced on commission. At first the scriptoria (writing rooms) of monasteries transcribed the contents of famous manuscripts and made copies. Monastic communities in the Netherlands and northern Germany began producing manuscripts around 1383/84. Flanders, Burgundy, and in particular Paris became major centres for the mass production of breviaries (prayer books) and Books of Hours. (Codex Pal. Germ. 848), 355 x 250 mm Universitätsbibliothek, Heidelberg
The Codex Manesse is the best-known manuscript of the poems and love songs of the Minnesingers. The Minnesingers are romantic figures in history. The word Minne is often translated as 'love' (for these were knightly minstrels who sang of fair damsels), but these were not mere songs of passionThe events leading up to Good Friday, beginning with Christ's arrest and ending with his burial. Portrayals of the Passion, which focus on the Suffering Christ, include depictions of Judas betraying Christ with a kiss, Peter cutting off Malchus's ear, the crown of thorns, and so on. but of a courtly aristocratic wistful secret love for an often unattainable or inaccessible woman. There is an almost fairytale atmosphere about the wandering Minnesingers.
The miniatureTerm originally applied to the art of manuscript illumination but later used of paintings, usually portraits, executed on a very small scale. The earliest miniaturists (16th century) continued to use the materials of the illuminators, painting in gouache on vellum or card. on folio 71v of the Manesse Codex shows the adventures of Kristan von Hamle to visit his lover.
OTHER WORKS BY SWISS MINIATURIST
CITE THIS RECORD — BIBTEX
@online{wga-r5e4566076831c0,
author = {Krén, Emil and Marx, Daniel},
title = {Codex Manesse by MINIATURIST, Swiss},
organization = {{Web Gallery of Art}},
date = {2026-09-13},
url = {https://beta.wga.hu/artists/miniaturist-swiss-r2fe0015555f442/codex-manesse-r5e4566076831c0},
urldate = {2026-09-13},
langid = {english}
}ACCESSED 2026-09-13. REPLACE THE AUTHOR FIELD WITH THE COMMENTARY AUTHOR WHERE ONE IS NAMED.