(1) When I first heard the term
“illuminated manuscript” and learned of its association with medieval
monasteries, I pictured hand-lettered parchment texts actually lighted from
within by a kind of benevolent, supernatural light. I soon discovered,
however, that the adjective “illuminated” in this case had nothing to do with
light, nor did it always have to do with the Christian church or with
medieval times. Rather, “to illuminate” simply meant “to adorn” the
pages of a manuscript, usually with brilliant colors and sometimes even with
precious metals or stones.
(2) Although illuminated manuscripts
reached their apogee in the Middle Ages and are best known as a
product of the medieval Christian church, they actually had their origins in Egypt, nearly four thousand years
ago. The first known illuminated manuscript was the Egyptian Book of the
Dead, which contained instructions for the ceremonies for burial of the
dead and the prayers to be said by those left behind. Originally, those books
were commissioned by royalty, nobility, and others of high rank, but
eventually even ordinary people could purchase them. Among the scenes
commonly contained in the Egyptian Book of the Dead were the funeral
cortege and the mummification process, as well as depictions of the deceased
in the afterlife. Thanks to the dry climate in Egypt, a number of these ancient
manuscripts have survived.
(3) The practice of illuminating
manuscripts flourished in Europe. The Vatican Library houses two manuscripts by Virgil,
and a copy of the Iliad by Homer resides in the BibliotecaAmbrosiana in Milan. A few Bibles and
religious storybooks have survived also. Hellenistic and Roman wall
painting influenced the illustrations in these texts, and as the age
progressed, the artwork came to be more influenced by classical art with
biblical themes. By the seventh century, the most important illuminated
manuscripts were the prayer books being produced in monasteries in England and Ireland. The illustrators were
greatly influenced by Celtic metalwork from previous centuries, and the works
are beautiful and impressive (though they may look slightly primitive to
modern eyes as the artists have made no effort to give a sense of
perspective).
(4) By the tenth and eleventh centuries, monasteries
in England moved away from their Celtic
influence and embraced the Carolingian style. The pictures in these
manuscripts, drawn for royals and other wealthy patrons, became more
interpretive, actually illustrating passages from the book, with stylized
figures looking rather severely out at the reader. By the twelfth
century, these English illuminators were integrating illustration and
decoration into the text. Bibles made in England at this time contained entire
scenes. Many of these manuscripts also presented mythical figures, like
dragons or part-human, part-animal figures that did not relate directly to
the text.
(5) By the Gothic period, the urbanization
of Europe led to increasing numbers of
illuminated manuscripts. The illustrations became more realistic: The
figures wore the clothes of the day and were shown in contemporary
settings. The artists also began to be concerned with balance and
perspective. The handwritten books and scrolls were embellished with
decorations and illustrations intended to enhance the text, and the paints
used were made from natural materials such as minerals and stones. Red,
brown, orange, and yellow were derived from ochers
and metals; blue came from lapis lazulim azurite,
or indigo. In Europe, artists also applied gold leaf.
(6) During the Middle Ages, the
illumination of manuscripts was an important art form, and illuminations
employed a variety of decorations and enhancements. Although most of the
books began with an imaginary portrait of the book’s author or its patron, in
some the first page contained abstract designs that were reminiscent of the
Oriental carpet, and thus, the first page later came to be known as the
carpet page. Texts of this time usually had enlarged and embellished initial letters—sometimes
shaped like animals, birds, or flowers. Some particularly important
texts—religious, literary, or historical—might have full-page illustrations,
which would be placed either at the appropriate point in the text or
grouped together at the beginning.
(7) During the Renaissance, patrons
continued to order these hand-illuminated manuscripts—even though the
printing press (c. 1450) made mass production of manuscripts by machine
possible. This was not true in the Middle East, however. Consequently,
the illuminated manuscript kept its influential role and many exquisite
examples survive to this day. Although the invention of the printing press
could be said to mark the beginning of the end for illuminated manuscripts in
Europe and elsewhere, they performed
an invaluable service during their long history. Because of widespread
illiteracy throughout history, pictures have always been an important source
of information. Even people who could not read—whether in ancient Egypt or medieval Europe—could glean information from
the illustrated pages. Perhaps the image of a page lighted from within
is not such a far-fetched description of the illuminated manuscript, after
all.
21.
Which of the
following sentences states the main point of this passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
22.
Which of the
following best describes the order of the information as it is
presented in the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
23.
As it is
used in the first sentence of paragraph 2, the word “apogee” most
nearly means
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
24.
According
to the passage, during what period was the printing press
invented?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
25.
Based
on the information in the passage, which of the
following is NOT an accurate statement about the Egyptian
Book of the Dead?
A.
Egypt affected
the fate of the Egyptian Book of the Dead manuscripts.
B.
C.
D.
E.
26.
A
central idea of Paragraph 4 is that between the
tenth and twelfth centuries in Europe, illumination
was used more and more often to
A.
toward the religious
significance of the text.
B.
explain the meaning
of the text.
C.
the munificence of
the patron who funded the manuscript.
D.
the seriousness
of the text's subject matter.
E.
traditionally
religious texts with fanciful subject matter.
27.
Based on the passage, one can
conclude that most illuminated manuscripts
pertain to
A.
passage from
life to death.
B.
in some way.
C.
and animal figures.
D.
even mixture
of the sacred and the secular.
E.
subject matter.
28.
It is reasonable to
conclude that a person who studied
history of the illuminated manuscript
would also learn the most about which of
the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Europe after the Middle Ages
E.
29.
It can be inferred
from the final paragraph of the passage
that the printing press “marked the
beginning of the end for the
illuminated manuscript” because:
A.
could be produced more
quickly and in greater numbers by
machine than by hand.
B.
manuscripts were less
expensive than the old illuminated
manuscripts.
C.
less-educated citizenry
preferred books that were machine-made.
D.
books were less fragile and
more portable than illuminated
manuscripts.
E.
printing press for the most
part eliminated illiteracy.
30.
What does the
author mean by the last lime, “Perhaps
the image of a page lighted from within
is not so far-fetched a description of
the illuminated manuscript, after all?”
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
ANSWER KEY
21.
Which of the
following sentences states the main
point of this passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
This choice
summarizes what is covered in the
essay. The other choices are too narrow
to be main ideas.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Main Idea
22.
Which of the
following best describes the order of
the information as it is presented in
the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
The order is
mainly chronological: from Ancient
Egypt to the seventh century to the
tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries;
and so on, up to the Renaissance.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Inference
23.
As it is used in
the first sentence of paragraph 2, the
word “apogee” most nearly means
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
The passage states
that illuminated manuscripts are
best known as a product of the medieval
Christian church. From this
context, you can determine that
illustrated manuscripts reached a high point, or “pinnacle” during that
period.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Vocabulary.
24.
According to the
passage, during what period was the
printing press invented?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
Paragraph 7 states
that the invention of the printing
press impacted illuminated manuscripts
during the Renaissance.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Specific Fact or Detail
25.
Based on the
information in the passage, which of
the following is NOT an accurate
statement about the Egyptian Book of
the Dead?
A.
Egypt affected the fate of the Egyptian
Book of the Dead manuscripts.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
There is no
indication in the passage that the Egyptian
Book of the Dead contains any
information about the pyramids.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Specific Fact or Detail
26.
A central idea of
Paragraph 4 is that between the tenth
and twelfth centuries in Europe, illumination was used more
and more often to
A.
toward the religious
significance of the text.
B.
explain the meaning of the
text.
C.
the munificence of the patron
who funded the manuscript.
D.
the seriousness of the text's
subject matter.
E.
traditionally religious texts
with fanciful subject matter.
Explanation:
The second
sentence of the paragraph states that
between the tenth and twelfth
centuries, illuminated manuscripts became
more interpretive, actually
illustrating passages from the book.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Main Idea
27.
Based on the
passage, one can conclude that most
illuminated manuscripts pertain to
A.
passage from life to death.
B.
in some way.
C.
and animal figures.
D.
even
mixture of the sacred and the secular.
E.
subject matter.
Explanation:
The passage
discusses illuminated manuscripts mainly
as they relate to churches,
monasteries, and prayers and rites.
Choice A
is mentioned only in paragraph 2.
Choice C
is mentioned only in paragraph 4. The
passage does not support the other
choices.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Inference
28.
It is reasonable
to conclude that a person who studied
history of the illuminated manuscript
would also learn the most about which
of the following?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Europe after the Middle Ages
E.
Explanation:
The information in
the passage indicates that as the
illuminated manuscript flourished,
artists began to learn new skills such
as balance and perspective. The
illustrations became more realistic and
depicted more of the text. Therefore, a
person who studied texts would see the
advancements in art during the same
time period.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Inference
29.
It can be inferred
from the final paragraph of the passage
that the printing press “marked the
beginning of the end for the
illuminated manuscript” because:
A.
could be produced more
quickly and in greater numbers by
machine than by hand.
B.
manuscripts were less
expensive than the old illuminated
manuscripts.
C.
less-educated citizenry
preferred books that were machine-made.
D.
books were less fragile and
more portable than illuminated
manuscripts.
E.
printing press for the most
part eliminated illiteracy.
Explanation:
The words more
efficient, machine mass production
points to this as the best answer. The
passage does not mention the expense of
printing books, the preferences of the
citizenry, or the portability of
manuscripts or books. The passage does
not state or imply that the printing
press eliminated illiteracy.
Section:
ACT Reading Test
Subsection:
Inference
30.
What does the
author mean by the last lime, “Perhaps
the image of a page lighted from within
is not so far-fetched a description of
the illuminated manuscript, after all?”
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Explanation:
The author is
referring to information that one gets
from looking at the pictures in an
illuminated manuscript.
