Showing posts with label Book of Nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book of Nature. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Buch der Natur (The Book of Nature, 14th Century)




This fascinating manuscript from 14th Century was issued by Konrad of Megenberg, a prolific german scholar who also wrote physics and astronomy treatises during this convulsed century in Europe. The codex is structured in eight chapters, dedicated to the nature of man, astronomy (based on 7 planets model), meteorology, zoology, ordinary and aromatic trees, plants and vegetables, semi-precious stones, kinds of metals and water properties and rivers.
The manuscript has detailed and full color illuminations but my favorite section is zoology, due to the quality of all full-page drawings. Other works by Konrad of Megenberg –apart from science- are focused on heretic movements, very active during 14th Century when the Papal Curia was installed in Avignon.