Medieval Ornament Illuminated Manuscripts no. 2. Portions of illuminated manuscripts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries 

Owen Jones created this collection of Medieval Ornament Illuminated Manuscripts no. 2 in 1842, using chromolithography. This printmaking technique allowed for the mass reproduction of detailed, colorful images, which here capture the essence of 13th and 14th-century illuminated manuscripts. The original manuscripts were painstakingly produced by skilled scribes and artists, using precious materials like gold leaf and vibrant pigments derived from minerals, plants, and insects. Each page was a labor of love, reflecting the wealth and status of the patron and the cultural significance of the text. Jones's chromolithographs democratized these intricate designs, making them accessible to a wider audience. By appropriating the aesthetics of handmade objects, the print invites us to consider the complex relationship between craft traditions, technological innovation, and shifting social values. It challenges the hierarchy between art and design, and invites us to appreciate the beauty and skill embedded in both.