Shrunken Treasures: Miniaturization in Books and Art is on view right now at the Walters Art Museum. This exhibition showcases over 30 small-scale manuscripts and rare books from the Walters’ collection, ranging from religious texts to almanacs and books of poetry. Not only are books on view, but miniatures of art as well, including little vases and statues.
Each piece on view is astoundingly well-crafted. As the Walters website puts it, the art “stretches the boundaries of artistic skill and human perception.” Just look at the piece above to have a true understanding of this. This is the centerpiece of the exhibition, the Prayer Book of Marie de Medici. The caption accompanying it states that in the early 17th century Marie was famous for her love of lace, therefore her prayer book was surrounded by it. Of the 52 leaves in the book, only a few have the same border, each appearing to have been cut by hand. The effort to complete such a task is staggering.
The exhibition runs until November 8, 2009 and can be seen during the museum’s regular hours, Wed-Sun, 10a.m.- 5p.m. For more info, go to http://thewalters.org.
* Posted by Jess Kemp for Bmore Art
