Pursuing the Creation of a Masterpiece in the Book Arts: Hand-Calligraphing William Shakespeare’s Greatest Works.
A Project That Unites Tradition and Innovation
THE VISION
Illuminating Shakespeare is a handwritten and hand illuminated luxury edition of William Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays. This unique undertaking combines centuries-old bookmaking traditions with the latest advances in computer technology and electronic communication.
Pursuing the creation of a masterpiece in the book arts involves a high-level craftsmanship, the highest standard of skill, such as calligraphy, illumination and fine binding, where the book’s physical structure intimately enhances its content.
The project celebrates Shakespeare’s brilliance by presenting his works in the most extraordinary codex format ever conceived, where every folio is meticulously handwritten and hand illuminated on parchment—an unprecedented achievement that could only be created by the skilled artists of our own time.
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“Shakespeare illuminates us, and we hope to return the favor.”
THE VELLUM PAGE
WHY SHAKESPEARE?
Shakespeare illuminates us, and we hope to return the favor. His plays remain timeless because they explore the enduring realities of the human condition—love, jealousy ambition, power, betrayal, and redemption—with extraordinary psychological depth.
INSPIRATION AND LEGACY
Inspired by Saint John´s Abbey and University, which commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson in 1998 to create a handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible, and following the completion of several handwritten codices of the Nican Mopohua Nahuatl manuscript in our own studio, we are now embarking on an extraordinary new artistic journey.
CRAFTSMANSHIP AND ARTISTIC DIRECTION
Handwritten and hand-illuminated manuscripts embody a meticulous centuries-old tradition of bookmaking in which every page is created entirely by hand. This process, which flourished throughout the Middle Ages (c. 500-1600), brought together highly skilled artisans-scribes and illuminators-who worked with materials such as natural sheep or calfskin parchment to create durable, art-centered works destined to be preserved and admired for generations. This contemporary Shakespeare project revives those timeless arts while reimagining them for a new age.
This monumental edition will be created by professional scribes from the United States and Europe under the direction of Ramón Abajo, himself a master calligrapher and founder of The Vellum Page Calligraphy Studio, located in the heart of Manhattan.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ILLUMINATING SHAKESPEARE
Many of the world’s greatest literary works are widely available in inexpensive printed editions, yet they are rarely experienced as monumental works of art. In today’s fast, disposable digital culture, even Shakespeare’s genius is often consumed as ordinary text rather than encountered with the reverence, beauty, and visibility it deserves.
Our product solves this by creating an original handwritten and hand-illuminated manuscript edition of Shakespeare’s writings—an unprecedented artistic project that transforms his plays and poetry into a cultural masterpiece. Rather than producing another printed book, we are creating a new work of art inspired by the tradition of the great medieval codices and by landmark projects such as the Saint John’s Bible created by Donald Jackson for the Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey.
The goal is to elevate Shakespeare beyond the standard book format and present his words in the most extraordinary form possible: handwritten calligraphy, illumination, fine materials, and master craftsmanship. By doing so, the project creates global visibility, renewed cultural interest, and a deeper emotional connection with Shakespeare’s timeless themes.
This edition is not only a book—it is a worldwide cultural event, a celebration of literature, and a bridge between ancient craftsmanship and modern audiences.
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"A bridge between the soul of the scribe and the eye of the reader."
-THE ARCHIVAL NOTE
JOIN THE ILLUMINATING SHAKESPEARE JOURNEY
Discover Illuminating Shakespeare, an extraordinary project that transforms the timeless works of William Shakespeare into a handwritten and hand-illuminated masterpiece.
We invite collectors, institutions, patrons, investors, and lovers of art and literature to become part of this unique cultural journey. Whether through collaboration, sponsorship, acquisition, or support, your involvement can help bring this vision to life. We would be delighted to hear from you—please contact us by email and join the story.
WHO ARE OUR CLIENTS?
Global Institutions
Museums and university libraries seeking to anchor their collections with a contemporary masterpiece that echoes the Renaissance.
Rare Book Collectors
Discerning bibliophiles who view the folio as both a spiritual heirloom and a premier tangible asset of immense cultural value.
Patrons of the Arts
High-net-worth individuals and cultural philanthropists who understand that true luxury lies in the preservation of human craft.
FEATURED PLAYS
The Tragedies and The Comedies
Tragedy
Hamlet
Revenge, sanity, and mortality
Tragedy
Macbeth
Ambition, guilt, and downfall
Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet
The world’s most romantic tragedy
Tragedy
Othello
Jealousy and manipulation
Tragedy
King Lear
Family, folly, and authority
Comedy
A Mindsummer Night´s Dream
Magic, romance, and wonder
Comedy
Twelf Night
Mistaken identity and love
Comedy
Much Ado About Nothing
Wit, humor, and dramatic twists
OUR PROJECTS
Facsimiles and original works created by The Vellum Page studio.
Nican Mopohua
For the first time, the reproduction of the oldest codex recounting the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego.
Siddur
Book of Prayers. One of the oldest manuscripts of Jewish culture, 6th century AD.
Medieval Bestiary
Between the 12th and 13th centuries, theologians and scholars wrote books called bestiaries about real and imaginary animals.
New Nican Mopohua
The most beautiful treatise ever created
about the Great Guadalupan Event.
Haggadah Digital
A monumental multimedia narration of the ancient text that merges calligraphy, computer design, digital animation, gold painting, and narration, lavishly illustrated with more than 100 images of the Old Testament and prominent synagogues.
ABOUT US
The Vellum Page is a calligraphy studio specializing in the reproduction of illuminated manuscripts and historical documents, as well as the creation of original codices of exceptional beauty and value.
We stand at the forefront of art, innovation, and science applied to the creation and reproduction of rare manuscripts, codices, facsimiles, and bespoke projects. Reviving the art of the great illuminated manuscripts requires mastery of a wide range of materials and techniques inherited from antiquity.
To achieve this, we employ traditional methods and materials: medieval pigments and inks, natural parchment, handmade paper, gold leaf, and fine artistic bookbinding, among others.
Our team is composed of a talented group of artists and artisans, each a specialist in different areas of the creative process. Our clients include the Museum of the Bible in Washington, the New York Public Library, as well as numerous private collectors.
Our latest project, the Nican Mopohua, has required five years of intense work and meticulous research. We are deeply proud to have received the recognition of some of the most prestigious Mexican scholars, who have described this work as “the most important Guadalupan research achievement of the last two hundred years.” Likewise, distinguished New York art curators have stated that our artistic interpretation of the Nican Mopohua is “the most beautiful illuminated manuscript ever created on the Virgin of Guadalupe.”
Ramón Abajo
Ramón Abajo, a native of Spain, has lived in the United States for more than forty years. He is a calligrapher, typographer, teacher, psychologist, and creator of educational software, as well as a baker by trade—a profession that profoundly shaped his character.
At the age of twenty-three, he moved to London, where he began his studies in calligraphy while working as an educator. In 1986, he settled in California, where he served in various positions within the public schools of Los Angeles County for more than fifteen years. In 1990, he received the Teacher of the Year Award in the Desert Sands Unified School District, and in 1999 he founded the educational software company Downhill Publishing.
In 2007, he established himself in New York City, where he founded and continues to direct the illuminated manuscript studio The Vellum Page, while furthering his artistic training in calligraphy at The Cooper Union and the New York Society of Scribes. He is a member of the Center for Book Arts, the New York Public Library, and The Morgan Library & Museum, among other prestigious institutions.
He also serves on the Board of Directors of La Nacional Spanish Benevolent Society, where he dedicates part of his free time to supporting this distinguished institution.
Ramón is an artist of free spirit, who finds joy and fulfillment in creation and in the beauty of work well done.
WHERE WE ARE
The Vellum Page Calligraphy Studio
📍 Mailing address
80 Eighth Ave. Suite 1M
New York, NY 10011
✉️ Correspondence
📞 Telephone
(800) 203-0612
(310) 951-8757
CONTACT
Illuminating Shakespeare
A Masterpiece of the Book Arts
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Private Inquiries
info@thevellumpage.com
New York City
By appointment only
Created by The Vellum Page | Handcrafted in New York
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