Manuscript graphic models of the post-Tridentine liturgy through the production of Christopher Plantin (original) (raw)

The post-Tridentine period and its production of liturgical books provided the perfect environment for cultural exchange and fierce competition between publishers. In this context, Christoper Plantin's liturgical production and his relationship with the court of Philip II has been the subject of multiple studies. We know its political implications, its marketing, distribution and production. However, the role of design in these books has gone unnoticed. In this paper I will focus on the evolution and graphic references of the missals produced by Plantin between 1572 and 1575. From the documentation on his production and the manuscript origins of the liturgical book, I intend to point out the graphic models imposed on the Antwerp printer when printing the reformed missal for the court of Philip II. The aim of my paper is to show the origins, graphic influences during the graphic development of the post-Tridentine missals for the Hispanic Monarchy. To show how the design of these books was influenced by a rich cultural, commercial and transnational context that, crossing borders, shaped the books.