Jesse Hurlbut
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Jesse Hurlbut
@jessehurlbut.bsky.social
1.1K followers 710 following 86 posts
Medievalist. Manuscript studies, 15th-century Burgundy, French literature, art, culture, Digital Humanities. Retired. https://jessehurlbut.net
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jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Comics theory, medieval art, Celtic coins and contemporary stained glass come together in a single talk next week.
Poster announcing a talk by Jesse Hurlbut on October 23, 2025 at the Fulton Library at UVU at 1 PM. The title of the talk is "Comic Book Literacy for Monumental Art."
October 17, 2025 at 2:29 AM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Pale Rider

British Library, Add ms 17399, f.17r
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A man rides a white horse out of a gaping hellmouth filled with flames and the souls of the damned. An eagle hovers over the scene waving a flowing banderole.
January 13, 2025 at 6:13 PM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Big flourish for a small capital

British Library
Add ms 15603, f.55v.
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A capital C (one-line height) in brown ink with an elaborate red pen flourish (extending over 11 lines in height)
January 6, 2025 at 4:02 AM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Two "terrobolem" stones, male and female, when brought close together, spontaneously ignite and create a raging fire.

Bestiary
British Library, Add ms 11283, f.41r.
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Two "terrobolem" stones, male and female, when brought close together, spontaneously ignite and create a raging fire.
January 2, 2025 at 5:53 PM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Pinpricks allow the transfer of a drawing from one sheet of vellum to another.

Bestiary
British Library, Add ms 11283, f.6r.
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A line drawing of a deer. Pinpricks in the vellum trace the outline. Additional pinpricks are visible corresponding to another drawing on the verso.
January 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Temptation

The ‘Moutier-Grandval Bible’
British Library, Add MS 10546, f. 5v.
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A serpent wrapped around the trunk of a fruit-bearing tree offers a piece of round fruit in its mouth. A hand reaches into the frame to take the fruit.
December 30, 2024 at 4:01 PM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Canon Table Arcade

The ‘Moutier-Grandval Bible’
British Library, Add MS 10546, f. 351r.
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A series of colorful arches spanning between columns adorn the canon tables of a nineth-century Bible.
December 29, 2024 at 5:04 AM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
Hare Line Filler

The ‘Moutier-Grandval Bible’
British Library, Add MS 10546, f. 7r.
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The blank space at the end of a verse is filled with the silhouette of a running hare.
December 28, 2024 at 5:07 AM
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Spring Blossoms

Majmu’a / مجموعه
British Library, Add ms 7914, f. 70r.
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December 27, 2024 at 5:31 PM
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Shepherds abiding in the field

British Library, Arundel ms 157, f.3v.
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December 24, 2024 at 6:35 PM
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Crossing Borders

[Muntakhab-i] Dīvān-i Navā’ī / منتخب ديوان نوائي
British Library, Or 3493, f. 3r.
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December 24, 2024 at 5:07 PM
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Orion's Belt

Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent, HS. 92, fol. 90v.
December 24, 2024 at 2:27 AM
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Cursus Solis Solsticialis

How does this work again?

Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent
Liber Floridus, HS. 92, fol. 25r.
A 12th-century diagram illustrating the movement of the Sun from solstice to equinox with a series of orbs arrayed within a set of concentric circles.
December 21, 2024 at 5:23 PM
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Verba is the Word

I'm not sure what astonishes me more, the color palette, the unusual blend of motifs, or perhaps the casual stylistic insouciance in the midst of rigorous structure and symmetry?

Montpellier Bible
British Library, Harley ms 4772, f.209v.
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The beginning of the book of Jeremiah. The word 'Verba' is ornately decorated.
December 21, 2024 at 4:26 AM
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Refined Lines

This manuscript has many extremely large capitals richly decorated with blue and red line art, but I find the smaller inter-columnar ones like this one just as arresting!

Lancelot du Lac
British Library, Harley ms 4419, f.30r.
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December 21, 2024 at 3:45 AM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
St. Denys from the nicely illustrated "Vie de saint Denys et ses compaignons."

British Library, Harley ms 4409, f.10r.
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St. Denys gazes over an elaborate diapered background.
December 17, 2024 at 2:04 AM
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In Capable Hands

British Library, Harley ms 4399, f.59v.
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#Digulleville
December 16, 2024 at 7:51 PM
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May I Have Your Undivided Attention?

British Library, Harley ms 4372, f.140r
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A group of men with hands clasped, kneel and gaze intently upward.
December 16, 2024 at 5:28 AM
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Bearded Scribe with Knot

British Library, Cotton MS Claudius A III, f.30r.
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December 14, 2024 at 8:19 PM
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Just Around the Corner

Lindisfarne Gospels
British Library, Cotton MS Nero D IV, fols. 3r, 5v, 6r, 6v.
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December 14, 2024 at 7:56 PM
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Amazing!

Graduale van de Sint-Baafsabdij te Gent, HS 14, fol. 40r.
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The Latin word "Mirabilis" with an ornate capital M and accompanying musical notation.
December 11, 2024 at 8:37 PM
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Le Corbeau et le Renard

BnF. Département des Manuscrits. Smith-Lesouëf 68, 32v.
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December 10, 2024 at 4:11 AM
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Curlicue Border

Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent,
Graduale van de Sint-Baafsabdij te Gent, BHSL.HS.0014, ff. 79v-80r.
December 9, 2024 at 6:32 PM
jessehurlbut.bsky.social
"The Fool has said in his heart..." This Psalm is often historiated with a depiction of a Fool, but in this case, we see the Temptation of Christ, ergo Satan is the Fool.

British Library, Arundel ms 157, f.52r.
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December 6, 2024 at 4:45 AM
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Do the Double Dragon Dance

British Library, Arundel ms 157, f.19r.
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December 6, 2024 at 1:57 AM