Question

Illuminated letters sent a visual message that communicated the content of the text. Which portion of the fifteenth-century population benefitted most from illuminated letters? a. the wealthy b. the monks c. the scholars d. the illiterate

Answer 1

d. the illiterate

Illuminated letters used pictures and symbolic images to convey narrative and meaning, so people who could not read (the largely illiterate population) could still understand the text’s content. Monks and scholars were usually literate, and the wealthy could afford decorated books but did not need the visual cues to read.