Workshop “Iluminated letter” in the Bauska Castle

Date: 29. January 2022

Time: 12:00 am - 2:00 am

Bauska, Latvia

29^th January, at 12:00, in the Bauska Castle Museum, artist Laura Matilde Ikerte will lead a workshop “Illuminated letter”, where she will show how to prepare and use egg tempera paint. Anyone with or without prior knowledge will be able to make their own illuminated letter according to the samples of medieval and renaissance examples.

In medieval manuscripts and miniatures, the illuminated letters were multi-coloured, first letters of the text which are highlighted and enlarged, decorated with various ornaments, twists, images of people and animals. The initials decorated the beginning of the book chapters, and their motifs most often revealed the content of the text below. Multi-coloured letters were used until the 16th century, however decorated, calligraphic first letters are also used later.

The tempera paint of the egg is persistent and dries relatively quickly. It is made from natural pigments and a water-soluble sticky material such as egg yolk. Egg tempera pigments have been used in ancient Egypt. This colour was also often used in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance

Number of visitors are limited; it is advisable to book in advance. Ph. nr. +371 63923793, +371 63922280, Mob. ph. +371 20011880 or e-mail: bauskaspils@bauska.lv. A medical face mask or FFP2 respirator (not intended for children under 7 years of age) should be worn during the event and national epidemiological regulations should be followed to limit the spread of Covid-19. Workshop is for free.

The master class takes place within the LAT-LIT project “Historical Road: Raudondvaris – Bauska”. The main goal of the project is to increase the number of visitors to the Bauska Castle Museum and Raudondvaris Manor (Lithuania) during the tourist season and winter months. In the winter and autumn months of 2022, 10 master classes will take place in the Bauska Castle Museum: leather pouch making, making wreaths of plants, calligraphy, sgraffito and tin jewellery workshop.

The project is implemented within the framework of the INTERREG V-A Latvia-Lithuania cross-border co-operation program. Project no. LLI-498 “Historical Road: Raudondvaris – Bauska”, HRRB. Information on the Interreg V-A Latvia-Lithuania Cross-Border Cooperation Program 2014–2020 www.latlit.eu; Official website of the European Union www.europa.eu

The total project funding for Raudondvaris Manor and Bauska Castle Museum is 785,875.00 EUR, including ERDF funding in the amount of 85% – 667,993.75 EUR.

Project financing for Bauska Municipality: 384 500.00 EUR, of which ERDF financing 326 825 EUR, state budget co-financing 19 225 EUR and Bauska Municipality co-financing – 38 450 EUR. The duration of the project is 24 months (01.01.2021 – 31.12.2022)

This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this article are the sole responsibility of Bauska Castle Museum and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.