Medieval Ornament Illuminated Manuscripts no. 3. Portions of illuminated manuscripts of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries 

Owen Jones created this chromolithograph titled "Medieval Ornament Illuminated Manuscripts no. 3," featuring portions of illuminated manuscripts from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Jones was interested in the ways that illuminated manuscripts served the social function of communicating religious and historical narratives to the largely illiterate medieval populace of Europe. The visual codes used here—the recurring floral motifs, the bright lapis lazuli, the burnished gold—would have signaled the importance of these texts to their original audience. The Catholic church was the prime patron of the arts in Europe during the late medieval period. It wielded considerable influence over economic and social structures, and as a result, the artwork produced at the time served to reinforce its doctrines. Art historical study can uncover the complex dynamics between art and society. Close attention to the historical context of art helps to challenge any assumptions we might have about its meaning, reminding us that its reception is always a product of our contemporary experience.