"Taking as its subject the role of manuscript illumination during the long history of the Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Splendor offers a sweeping overview of one of the most impressive chapters in the history of medieval art. Beginning with the reforms initiated by Charlemagne (the first emperor after the fall of Rome) and ending with the flurry of artistic innovation that coincided with the invention of the printing press and the onset of humanism in the fifteenth century, this book examines the intersections of art, manuscripts, and power throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Its central claim is that the Empire played a crucial role in the patronage and development of the arts of the book throughout the Middle Ages. While generally little known by the broader public, the manuscripts produced in these regions count among the most spectacular works of art from the entire Middle Ages"--