Marginalia of Medieval Art: Essays on History and Culture

Lecherous monkeys, dragons devouring their own tails, inflated heads, donkeys playing harps, priests kissing someone on the backside, tumbling jugglers…

What do all these images on the facades of medieval churches and the margins of ancient manuscripts mean?

Michael Camille explores the riotous realm of marginal art, analyzing its symbolism, functions, and sociocultural context that often remains overlooked by most researchers. The reader will learn why gargoyle and chimera statues were placed on cathedral roofs, what role images of acrobats and jesters played in the decoration of monasteries, and why clergy, knights, peasants, and prostitutes became participants in indecent and humorous scenes on the margins of medieval books of hours and the works of ancient philosophers. 

The author pays special attention to the interaction between text and image, as well as how marginal iconography reflected the worldview and everyday life of people of that time. The book will be of interest to both specialists in art history and a broader audience wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the artistic traditions of the Middle Ages.