THE BOOK OF KELLS (facsimile page)

The Book of Kells is one of the most famous and elaborately decorated of the Hiberno-Saxon Gospel books. Within each Gospel, the beginnings of important sections were identified by large, intricately decorated opening letters or, sometimes, decoration of entire first words of text. These eye-catching letters create a hierarchy of interest, drawing the reader’s attention to the most significant portions of text. The letters were also a field for graphic experimentation: their forms vary in size and shape and they are embedded in a labyrinth of decoration. Such letters were clearly articulated as much to have a visual impact as to form the words of the text. The size, shape, colors, and decorative motifs, and even the negative space between the elements, transform individual letters and words into visual imagery.

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