Illuminating the Book: Makers and Interpreters is published in honour of Janet Backhouse, Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at The British Library, who retired in 1998 after a 35-year career at the British Museum and Library.
Many eminent scholars and colleagues have contributed essays reflecting Janet's own research interests, particularly in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance, and in the interaction between English collectors and continental book producers. The essays are grouped in three main themes: Interpreters, in which the manuscripts are explored through issues of iconography and style; Makers, in which patrons, named artists or schools and their relationships are discussed; and Owners, in which the authors consider aspects of provenance and collecting history.