News

Emeritus Professor Margaret Manion AO, Professorial Fellow in Art History Melbourne University (and Loreto Sister), is the guest curator of the Medieval Imagination: Illuminated manuscripts from Cambridge, Australia and New Zealand exhibition at the State Library of Victoria from 28 March to 15 June 2008.

The unique exhibition features over 90 stunning illuminated manuscripts, books and pages dating from the 8th to the 16th centuries from the collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum, the University Library, Trinity College and Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University. This is the first and, possibly only, time these manuscripts will travel to Australia - many have not left the University since they were first placed in the collections. They join a similar number of precious books from Libraries, Galleries and Museums in Australia and New Zealand;  creating the largest exhibition of its kind ever held in Australia.

Works on display include sacred traditional texts as well as works of music, law, history and science. Complementary talks, tours, music concerts and school activities will also take place during the exhibition.

Margaret believes the exhibition is the most ambitious  of its kind ever mounted in this part of the world. ‘This is an extraordinary collaboration and a major logistical undertaking for the State Library, Cambridge University and other participating institutions. The manuscripts  are priceless and irreplaceable. Because of their fragile nature we may never see works like this in Australia again,’ she said.

For further information please visit the State Library's website.