Epistolary

Madelyn Walker

about 1930

Gold leaf, tempera colors, and pen and black ink, Pen, Ink

J. Paul Getty Museum

Handwritten on parchment in very legible English, this manuscript is styled after medieval examples. It contains readings drawn from various epistles (letters) found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible to be read during Mass. Known as an Epistolary, this copy was more than likely created for private use as a luxurious handcrafted art object rather than as a service book to be used in a church. Penned and decorated by the British artist Madelyn Walker, the manuscript features a kaleidoscope of color: passages of text are written in gold, red, green, blue, and black and are separated by floral frames and varied animal motifs w