The upcoming exhibition at the Getty Center, titled "Symbols and Signs: Decoding Medieval Manuscripts," explores the sophisticated methods medieval scribes and artists used to embed codes and symbols in their manuscripts. Running from May 20 to August 10, 2025, it features a range of illuminated texts and photographs, showcasing how these layers of meaning, familiar to medieval audiences, require modern interpretation. The exhibition is structured around three themes: Word Codes, Image Codes, and Schematic Codes, each highlighting different aspects of how information was encoded and understood during the Middle Ages.
"People today are fascinated by ciphers, puzzles, and secrets... This exhibition explores the clever ways that scribes and artists of the past deliberately and playfully employed such codes to arrest the attention of medieval audiences and engage their minds."
"The Word Codes section looks at how familiar alphabets-Latin, Hebrew, or Armenian-could be transformed through monograms, abbreviations, and stylised names. These wordplays served both artistic and intellectual purposes, challenging readers to decipher and interpret the hidden messages."
"The Image Codes focuses on how abstract symbols, personal emblems, and colour choices in manuscript illustrations conveyed complex ideas. These visual cues, though intuitive for medieval viewers, are often puzzling today."
"Schematic Codes examines how medieval people organised information through systems like musical notation, calendars, and indexes-some of which laid the groundwork for modern information design."
Collection
[
|
...
]