Codice Illustres: A Millennium of Illuminated Manuscripts in One Volume

Taschen has published "Codice Illustres," a 504-page volume by Norbert Wolf and Ingo F. Walther that surveys a millennium of illuminated manuscripts from the late Roman Empire to the Renaissance. The book analyzes 167 major codices, including the Book of Kells, the Utrecht Psalter, and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, with detailed entries on date, format, language, decoration, provenance, and current location. It also covers Islamic manuscripts such as the Book of Antidotes and the Description of the Campaign of Sultan Suleiman in the Two Iraqs. The authors, both German art historians and medievalists, provide scientific rigor and extensive appendices with artist biographies, bibliography, and glossary. The Wall Street Journal praised the volume as indispensable for manuscript enthusiasts. Priced at €30, the book offers high quality-to-cost ratio typical of Taschen publications.