Medieval letter

Launched in the 1840s by Owen Jones, chromolithography was a new dynamic printing method that democratized color printing. This initial R, reproducing in chromolithography the style of medieval illuminations of the 14th century, was published in 1860 by William Robert Tymms (1828-1878), an English chromolithographer and designer. The term illumination comes from the Latin "illuminare" which means to illuminate or brighten. This illumination is based on the combination of a pigment-based painting done by hand on parchment, sometimes with gold leaf or silver. In the Middle Ages, illuminations served both as a reference and as a medium to convey unwritten messages or symbols. Initials marked the openings of major texts in handwritten, folded and sewn books, called codices.

© Printing Museum, Lyon