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  J. Paul Getty Museum "The Adoration of the Mai," a miniature from a psalter, is one of the exhibits being shown at the Getty Museum Nov. 21 to Feb. 4, 2001.

By Kelsey McConnell

Daily Bruin Contributor

As modern shoppers browse Thanksgiving sales and online merchandise, the tradition of exchanging presents ensues. Hearken back to the Middle Ages, however, and a dramatically different concept of gift-giving is apparent.

The use of lines and vibrant colors translates the significance and joy of gift-giving in a new display at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “The Art of Giving in the Middle Ages” is a beautiful display of 20 illuminated, or illustrated, manuscripts from 11th to 16th-century Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire.

The exhibition features artwork and texts that were copied from the Bible into volumes by nuns and monks of the Catholic church. These works were made of animal skins and considered sacred. For the illiterate, illustrations accompanied the text to further explain the stories being told.

The exhibit is organized and divided into three sections titled “The Models For Giving,” “The Culture of Giving” and “The Gift of the Book.”

  J. Paul Getty Museum "The Art of Giving in the Middle Ages," now at the Getty Museum, will showcase such pieces as "The Legenda Aymonis," shown here. The first section features manuscripts that show the “models for giving,” which can be found in scripture and through the lives of the saints. On display are pieces demonstrating the Medieval Christian mentality, which made models out of men and women who forsook their worldly possessions for a life of simple spiritual devotion.

One of the exhibit’s pieces, “From the Life of Saint Anthony,” provides such a model of sacrificial giving. The illumination shows Saint Anthony giving away his possessions only to be tormented by demons and buried by a lion. The expressive detail in the drawing of the demons and the grimace on the face of Saint Anthony effectively display his torture.

The second series of manuscripts, “The Culture of Giving,” moves from gift-giving as an act of charity aimed at securing a place in heaven to Saint Hedwig, who spawned a wave of genuine compassion for the downtrodden.

“Hedwig Caring for the Sick” is a piece that shows the saint bending over to spoon soup into the gaping mouths of the hungry and giving coins to a huddled mass of paupers. The serene face of Saint Hedwig soothingly contrasts the wide eyes of the starving children and the downtrodden.

This piece differs from the first section, which focuses around saints who sacrificed all their possessions and social life to live in seclusion. “Hedwig Caring for the Sick” is demonstrative of how saints began directly helping the poor.

The rest of this section deals with the importance of gift-giving within the aristocracy. Such graciousness was an act that demonstrated the giver’s good will and allegiance toward the recipient. Many of the illuminated manuscripts on display were commissioned by aristocrats in the 11th to 16th centuries to foster better foreign relations.

The final works are a representation of how the giving of illuminated manuscripts became the premier way to circulate items of luxury. One of the exhibition’s most interesting features is an illuminated prayer book known as the “Gualenghi-d’Este Hours.”

This book was occasioned by the marriage of Andrea Gualengo to Orsina d’Este of the ruling family of Ferrara, a city in northern Italy. The volume contains amazingly clear and colorful illuminations of the Catholic mass, which were meant to aid the young couple in prayer.

“The Art of Giving in the Middle Ages” is an exhibit of startling beauty and skill, with works by artists such as Simon Bening, Gerard Horenbout, Simon Marmion and Taddeo Crivelli.

Often bordered by ornate gilding and stately designs of flowers and birds, the Biblical scenes featured in the manuscripts are done in amazing detail with thin black lines filled in with brilliant blues and reds that create lush landscapes and portraits.

The intricate care with which the manuscripts were formed was used not only with Biblical stories, but also for luxurious 11th to 16th century clothing, ceilings and floors with elaborate and beautiful patterning. The faces in the illuminations are an equally striking accomplishment: the down-cast or wide eyes, the serene or anguished mouths, the glowing Madonnas or savagely twisted demons provide a supreme form of sacred and artistic expression.

ART: The Getty Museum’s exhibition “The Art of Giving in the Middle Ages” is on view through Feb. 4, 2001 in the North Pavillion’s Plaza Level. Parking reservations are not needed for students. For more information, call (310) 440-7300.