Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

Who made this?

by Augusta Holyfield '22

Little is known about the specific craftsmen who illuminated the Morgan Crusader Bible. We know that at least six separate artists painted the pages. These men, and they were most likely men, were skilled artisans who had trained for years in this type of work. Only the very best would have been allowed to work on a project as prestigious and expensive as the Crusader Bible. They might have been literate, but that was not necessarily a requirement. Their fathers might also have been illuminators or painters, which would have allowed their sons entry into the workshop spaces. These artisans probably worked for a year or more creating all the illustrations. 

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