Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta

MS. 20,  Folio 118

Me and Timmur, King of Artemisia during Pennsic 50.  Last time I saw him, I was still a baby fencer.

What is this and Why am I doing this?

This is a court baronage scroll for the Kingdom of Artemisia, and it was assigned to me by their Signet.  Artemisia left an incredible impression on me from Pennsic, and part of my fencing family descended from Artemisia.  So I have ties to that part of the planet.

Why am I doing this project?  Long story short, I lost a bet.  

Just ask Virgil Valyn of Artemisia.

Special thanks to Virgil for helping with this scroll and for holding onto my billion tutorial videos, in case I needed to reference them.

The Extant: MS 20, Folio 118 "The Butterfly, Marine Mollusk and Pear"

Title: Butterfly, Marine Mollusk, and Pear

Artist/Maker: Joris Hoefnagel (Flemish, / Hungarian, 1542 - 1600) and Georg Bocskay (Hungarian, died 1575)

Date: 1561–1562; illumination added 1591–1596

Medium: Watercolors, gold and silver paint, and ink

Dimensions: Leaf: 16.6 × 12.4 cm (6 9/16 × 4 7/8 in.)

Place: Vienna, Austria (Place Created)

Culture: Flemish and Hungarian

Object Number: Ms. 20 (86.MV.527), fol. 118

Department: Manuscripts

Classification: Illustrated Manuscript

Object Type: Folio

Alternate Numbers: 86.MV.527.118 (Object Number); Ms. 20, fol. 118 (Manuscript Number)

Folio information presented, as listed at the Getty Museum, October 31, 2023.

As seen at the Getty Museum, click here for a link to the museum page.

Materials Used:

Total time spent on project: 13 hours

FAQ: What's it like to work with a comissioned wordsmith?

Wordsmithing is an art form in itself.  Wordsmiths carefully and methodically choose words for the scroll to best suit the recipient and the scroll.  I avoid using pre-printed word as much as possible.

Whenever I commission a piece for wordsmithing, I give my wordsmith a specific word count and whatever information I have on the recipient.  If possible, I will also show them what sample scroll I will be working for so they can use it too for inspiration.  Then I leave them alone to do their work so I can get started on the scroll.

This is because I draw and complete all my illustrations before the words are ever completed.  This is a backwards process from how other scribes work.  I do this for two reasons:

1. I have several scroll projects going on at the same time, and I don't have time to wait for my wordsmith to craft words for me.
2. I consider my calligraphy skills to be stronger than my illuminating skills, and I have no difficulty adapting my text and style to fit my art.  Giving my wordsmith a specific number of words helps limit the amount of adjustments I need to do.

English Words by Master Cyrus Augur

Heed the words of King Tearlach Macmillian and Rex Ursa the Minor, magnificent Sovereigns of these lands of Artemesia. Greetings.

Excellence comes in many forms, and We have found in our subject Niccolina de Parre it takes the form of overwhelming abundance. None can rival her gentle courtesy, or the wisdom of her counsel, which she wields in service to the betterment of our kingdom. To speak of her eloquence is folly - words fail in the attempt to convey, finding themselves lacking and jealous that they were not the ones spoken. As graceful in manner as in swordplay, the embodiment of indominable courage, a verifiable practitioner of sprezzatura: before us We find the quintessential Courtier. Truly, she is a perfect horseman for every saddle, such that she may be known among all as one that is excellent. Such quality is our greatest pleasure to recognize, and thus we name Niccolina de Parre a Baroness of our court as well as bestow the right and privilege to don a baronial coronet. Decreed on the Fourth day of November Anno Societatis 58 at Gryphon’s Prize in the beautiful shire of Arrows Flight.


Latin Translation by MeiLan

Verba Rex Tearlach Macmilliani et Rex Ursae Minoris, harum terrarum Magnificentissimo Dominorum Artemesiae, salutem.  Excellentia multis formis venit, et invenimus in subjecto nostro Niccolinae de Parre formam nimiae abundantiae. Nemo potest eam aemulari. mitis comitas, vel consilii sui prudentia, quae in regni nostri melioratione versatur, eloquentiam suam dicere stultum est, verba in conatu deesse, carere se et zelare, quod non sunt locuti. Ut decorus modo ac gladiolus, formam indomitae virtutis, verificabilis practicus sprezzatura: apud nos invenimus aulicum quintessentialem: vere est eques perfectus ad omnem sellam, ut sciatur inter omnes sicut unus. Quale est optimum, et sic nos Niccolinam de Parre baronisse curie nostre nominamus, necnon ius et privilegium corone baronie donamus. 

FAQ: How did you know how many words to use on the page?

In some cases, you can use a math formula to calculate the number of words on the page.  In this case, I divided the piece into four quadrants, then counted all the words in it. Multiply by 4.  I came up with 180, more or less.  I ended up short by 1-4 words in the final copy.  I had my calculations double checked by an engineer.  We ended up with two different numbers.  He ended up with fewer words, I ended up with more.

Sketch of the Text Map with Spoilers!

I was being naughty and attempting to do two things at once, I ended up doing two scrolls at the same time.  You can see a bit of it in the corner of the scroll.  

Don't worry, by the time you're reading this page, both of these scrolls would have been awarded.

I created this sketch based off of measurements on the extant, I did it in pencil followed by Expo marker.

The big green thing will be referred to as "the word map."  I don't know if that's what it's actually called, but it fits.

Testing the Text on Scrap Paper

I attempted to create a 'test' piece where I experimented with wrapping my text around the page.  I used a pencil and my normal printing because my printed letters are about the same size as the size of the text I was going to use.

My normal handwriting is consistent enough with most period hands that I can use it to test word spacing on a page.

I went through 3 different attempts to set the text in English on my scrap sheet of paper, but it didn't look -quite- right.

Pro-Tip: You can't go wrong by staying true to the verbiage of the extant.  The scroll is translated into Latin because the extant was also in Latin.

Writing on the Light Table - Start

After much scanning and studying the extant, I felt that this was the best place to start.  I secured the scrap paper with the word map on it to the back of the page using painter's tape.

Time to Check - 30 minutes

I shut light table off to check my progress and alignment.

Expect to constantly turn your page - 2 hours in

This is why I recommend you tape the word map to the scroll and not to the light table.

Time check - 4 hours and 45 minutes in

Time check - 5 hours in

Time check - 6 hours in

Completed Text

The calligraphy took me about 6 hours, plus or minus.  I had to stop quite often in the beginning to step away and refocus.  This style took a lot of emotional investment because of how challenging it was, and I had to stop frequently to remain focused. 

Vertical Comparison

This one features the unfinished side of my scroll, right after I finished writing in all the words.

Horizontal Comparison

This was the first side-by-side I created of this piece.  I did my best to line them up.

Rough Sketch of the Fruit - 8 hours in 

Like the extant, I began to work on the text then I added in the illustrations and paintings afterward. which was created in 1561-1562, and the illumination was added between 1591-1596.

This is the sketch of the fruit and calligraphic letter.

The sketches took me 2 hours to complete.

Fruits Used in Scroll with Documentation

Pears - Pears are used in the extant, they have been known by humans since antiquity and have been used in Ancient Greek and Roman art.  They were associated with Aphrodite and Venus.  Click here for more of its history.

Pumpkin - Pumpkins, squashes and gourds belong to the genus Cucurbita, and is native to the Americas.  First images of pumpkins used in art was in Fuchs' De Historia Stirpium in 1542 (Paris, Daunay, Pitrat & Janick, 2006).  The pumpkins used in that book are of C.pepo pumpkins, commonly known as field pumpkins, which is what what was illustrated in this scroll.

Blueberries- Blueberries are also native to the Americas, but they have been known to the Native Americans as far back as 11,000 BP.  Samuel de Champlain was the first European to record using and eating blueberries in 1615 (Hummer, 2013).

References

Hummer, K. E. (2013). Manna in Winter: Indigenous Americans, Huckleberries, and Blueberries. HortScience horts, 48(4), 413-417. Retrieved Nov 1, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.48.4.413 

Paris, H. S., Daunay, M. C., Pitrat, M., & Janick, J. (2006). First known image of Cucurbita in Europe, 1503-1508. Annals of botany, 98(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcl082 

Letter "N" for the recipient's name.

Pumpkin

Blueberry

Pears

Painting the Fruit Using Watercolor in Realistic Style

I painted this scroll using a realistic approach to watercolor to match the extant as close as possible. This is a style of painting that isn't common in many SCA styles, and this effect is best achieved using watercolors.  In period, I believe this effect would have been accomplished using watered-down paint.  The Getty Museum states that this manuscript uses watercolor.

The realistic painting effect can be accomplished using several tools, such as edge control, proper object proportions, underpainting, and balancing light and dark values.  Close up examination of the extant shows Hoefnagel's skill as a master manuscript illuminator with his astounding technical abilities.

PRO-TIP: create a color swatch to use as a palette

Underpainting - 8 hours and 15 minutes

I applied both the underpainting in complementary colors to every-other wedge, this allows your paint the chance to dry so it doesn't bleed into each other.

More highlights - 8 hours and 30 minutes

Now that the underpainting is mostly in place, start to bleed in the other colors: the blues, reds, yellows, oranges.

Start Adding Shadows - 9 hours

I added in more shadows into the edges of the wedges for contrast.  I also used a fan to help my paint dry faster.

Adding Final Shadows, Lines and Highlights - 9 hours and 15 minutes

I added more highlights to the pumpkin with my paintbrush, then used my exacto blade to scrape off some excess paint to add more highlight.  

If you look on the top right, you can see me starting to underpaint the berry.  The berry is painted red where the shadows will be the most concentrated. 

Completed Pumpkin and Blueberry - 9 hours and 30 minutes

A blob of paint water landed on the page just under my blueberry.  I wiped it off.  But I didn't scrape it off.  

Why?  Because its a small droplet of color less than 2 mm big.  Aggressively going after it with a blade will damage the scroll.  Small paint drops are OK and even period.  It makes the piece look imperfect, which makes it feel more real.

Scrape off these happy mistakes ONLY if it takes away from the overall image.  If it drags your eye away from the art, then remove it.  If not, leave it alone.

Painted the Pears - 10 hours

I didn't take too many photos of the progress of me painting the pears. This left only fine details to be added, like the veins in the leaves and gold paint on the calligraphic N.

Final - 13 hours

The completed piece.  It took roughly 11 hours from beginning to end of working on the scroll, including a few moments where I walked away to take a break.

Roughly 13 hours were used to prepare this scroll.    I added in an extra 2 hours to my time because I had to experiment on a scrap piece of paper first.

Commentary from Mistress Raziya bint Rusa - Laurel on Plants

Posted with permission so I can better improve my technique.

Blueberry and the Pear - Good to know.  The blueberry and the pear used two different painting techniques.  The blueberry is painted using the realistic style, which involves underpainting.  The pear is painted using glazes.  Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages.  Both techniques are present in this manuscript, and employed in different places.

Pumpkin - She has a point, I may have gone a bit overboard with the edges.  It could have been a little softer.  Food for thought.

Pear leaf - Uh, you caught me.  I didn't know that about leaves.  I just winged it.  Good to know.

Departures from Period Technique


Things I Learned