Activity – Demonstration of the Art of Illumination

Dive into the medieval art of illumination

On 5 and 6 July and 2 and 3 August, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Florence Aseult, manuscript copyist and creator of illuminations inspired by medieval tradition, invites you to an immersive demonstration of illumination: an ancestral art that employs precious materials and combines precision, patience, and craftsmanship.

The programme :

• Presentation of the materials: Discover the differences between parchment and vellum, their characteristics, and their uses.
• Natural pigments: Where do they come from? How were they used? Florence will reveal their origins and the traditional techniques for applying them.
• Gold leaf application: Live demonstration of the “gliding of the shell” technique, a skill once passed down through generations of monk scribes.
• Calligraphy & calligrams: Demonstration using traditional tools and ink prepared according to ancient recipes to create exceptional texts and decorative designs.
• Presentation of an original facsimile, hand-illuminated and calligraphed by Florence during her training at the Institut Supérieur Européen de l’Enluminure et du Manuscrit.
• Travel Through Time: an overview of the major periods of illumination through the centuries.

Florence Aseult and the Château de Chantilly invite you to a one-of-a-kind experience, revealing the secrets of an extraordinary art and allowing you to feel the silence, precision, and grace of every gesture.