The Rothschild Pentateuch, a hand-painted medieval manuscript with over 1,000 pages, serves as a centerpiece in the Getty Center's exhibition "Symbols and Signs: Decoding Medieval Manuscripts." Curator Orsolya Mednyánszky aims to reveal the understanding medieval people had of these texts through a familiar code system, likening it to modern emojis. The exhibition showcases codified language through words, images, and schematic representations across centuries, illustrating a complex communication system that was once easily grasped by those embedded in medieval culture. Complementary photographs are featured to deepen the viewer's understanding of the manuscripts' symbolic richness.
A show at the Getty Center titled "Symbols and Signs: Decoding Medieval Manuscripts" aims to illuminate the formerly impenetrable language of medieval texts through familiar codes.
Orsolya Mednyánszky states, "Just as we understand emojis or the abbreviations we're texting, we wanted to show what the code system for medieval people was."
The exhibition showcases various manuscripts that employed a sophisticated code of words, images, and symbols, revealing the knowledge accessible to medieval readers.
The curators are pairing manuscripts with related photographs to provide insight into how symbols and text communicated deeper meanings within their historical context.
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