Blackburn's collection shows many of the leading decorative trends and painting styles over 300 years of European history, said Timothy Riggs, Ackland's assistant director for collections. It played a pivotal role in the development of European painting during and after the Renaissance. Later works include true illustrations miniature paintings that dominate the page. The exhibit includes more than 50 pages from Books of Hours, sumptuous devotional picture books made for aristocratic patrons in the late Middle Ages. In another example, an artist illustrated the holy family, their donkey and a luscious landscape in a space of 4 inches.
Leafy vines seem to grow from the borders, filling the margin with a delicate network.
The Ackland is on South Columbia Street near Franklin Street.