Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta is the result of the creative work of two authors who have never met each other. With the advent of typography in the 15th century, manuscripts faded into the background, but calligraphy masters continued to demonstrate their art for a long time. So, in 1561-1562. there was a masterpiece created by Georg Bocskay, secretary of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I.
This book is a collection of a variety of calligraphic styles that are completely different from each other. Prayers, hymns, biblical texts, excerpts from court correspondence are written in letters of amazing beauty. Fortunately, the handwritten book has survived to this day, and today you can buy a modern edition of this masterpiece.
Thirty years after Bokskay completed the work, the Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel, by order of Emperor Rudolf II, illustrated the manuscript. There was enough free space on each page to fill them with colorful drawings. Hoefnagel, known for his illustrations of works on natural history, did an excellent job with the task.
Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta sparkled with colors: flowers and fruits, caterpillars and butterflies appeared, which brought the book to life. It is believed that Höfnagel sought to show the superiority of painting over calligraphy. Some will agree with this, others will not pay attention to the illustrations, carried away by fanciful letters. In any case, we can safely say that the two worlds have ideally united and become an indivisible whole.
Researchers believe that Hoefnagel used the effects of art trompe-l'œil (trompe l'œil). Using various methods, the authors of trompe-l'œil created optical illusions to make the painted objects appear realistic. Hoefnagel paid attention to the smallest details, carefully worked out the shadows. In our time, Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta reminds us of the value of handicraft, which has given way to replication.
