ART REVIEW: "Book of Ruth: Medieval to Modern" “The Book of Ruth: Medieval to Modern” at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City focuses on an illuminated manuscript of the biblical Book of Ruth. It is not a work from the Middle Ages but rather a contemporary work of art.
The work was designed and illuminated by New York artist Barbara Wolff. It is made up of a series of nine-inch high vellum panels that have been attached to each other so as to create an 18 foot long work. The panels fold up like an accordion and can be stored in a case that is also on display in the exhibition. On one side of the work, a calligrapher has set forth the text of the Book of Ruth in Hebrew. On the other side, the calligrapher has set forth the text in English. Next to the Hebrew text, Ms. Wolff has produced a series of color illustrations. On the English side, she has done black and white illustrations based upon her research into the Iron Age - - the period in which the Book of Ruth is set. This manuscript was donated to the Morgan by Joanna S. Rose. Accordingly, it is called the Joanna S. Rose Illuminated Book of Ruth. Also included in the exhibition are 12 illuminated manuscripts from the Morgan's collection that show the Christian traditions for illuminating the story of Ruth during the Middle Ages. Illuminated manuscripts in the Western world date back to the late Antique period or the Early Middle Ages. Most were created by monks and illustrate the Christian bible. However, towards the beginning of the Renaissance, some secular books were illuminated. With the coming of the printing press, the art form of illuminating manuscripts all but faded away. Just as there are contemporary artists who draw inspiration from the works of Michelangelo or Monet or Jackson Pollock, Ms. Wolff has found inspiration in the work of the medieval manuscript artists. However, she has not copied their style. Rather, she has taken elements of their technique and blended them with her own creativity to produce a contemporary approach to manuscript illumination. Whereas the medieval illustrators tended to concentrate on the central figures of the story, Ms. Wolff has illustrated the Book of Ruth by concentrating primarily on objects relating to the story. A parallel can be drawn to cinema director Ernst Lubitsch's technique of focusing the camera on crucial details that say more than simply focusing on the actors. In addition, the practice of illuminating stories from the bible was a Christian tradition. Ms. Wolff has applied this practice in a Jewish context Ms. Wolff also used modern materials in producing this work. While the surface is traditional vellum, the color illustrations use modern gouache combined with egg white. For the reverse side, she used carbon ink in making the black and white illustrations. It took Ms. Wolff two years to complete this project, which implies a level of devotion similar to that which the medieval artists brought to their work. Implicit is the desire to spotlight the story and enhance its telling. Furthermore, implicit is the desire to create a work of art and thing of beauty. Ms. Wolff has clearly succeeded. |
Medieval versus modern - - A panel from Barbara Wolff's contemporary illuminated manuscript (above) and a page from the 13th century Crusader bible.
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Art review - Morgan Library and Museum - "The Book of Ruth: Medieval to Modern"