Section Four:

“The Sacred Book,”

A Study of Book Illumination

 

 

Examples from the Western Middle Ages and Renaissance:

 

IN243. Actors in a Comedy, artist unknown, Roman fresco from a villa at Pompeii; an example of Roman Classicism, first century CE.

 

IN244a. Lindisfarne Gospel, frontispiece, artist unknown, Anglo-Irish, Celtic style, c. 700 CE.

 

IN245. Lindisfarne Gospel, artist unknown, upper left-hand corner detail of the frontispiece.

 

IN247a. Animal Head, from Oseberg Ship Burial, artist unknown, Oslo, Norway, c. 825 CE.

 

IN246. Celtic Church Decoration, artist unknown, Scandinavian wood caring from a stave church.

 

IN248a. Gospel of Charlemangne, artist unknown, frontispiece showing St. Matthew, c. 800-10 CE. (Note - this example, and that shown in IN250a, exemplify a tendency in European art during the ninth century CE.to emphasize aspects of Greco-Roman Classicism. That tendency was largely the result of Charlemangne's reign, a period refereed to as, "Carolingian." During that time elements of Classical, Greco-Roman style were used to help symbolize the fact that Charlemangne was crowned Roman Emperor for the first time after the fall of ancient Rome. That event took place on Christmas day of the year 800 CE. in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Thus, Charlemangne's reign of the ninth century is often referred to as a "Carolingian Renaissance." However, that "renaissance" was short lived and lacking in extended influence. Generally, the styles of mediaeval art in western Europe remained abstract).

 

IN249a. Lindau Gospel, artist unknown,front cover, gold set with precious stones, Carolingian period, workshop of Charles the Bald, c. 875 CE.

 

IN250a. Paris Psalter, artist unknown, illuminated page, King David Composing a Psalm, c.960 CE.

 

IN251a. Ebbo Gospel, artist unknown, frontispiece commissioned by Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims; France; 816-35 CE.

 

IN252a. Gospel of Otto III, artist unknown, frontispiece, Gospel of St. Luke, Ottonian period, c 1000 CE.

 

IN253. Gospel of Corbie, artist unknown, frontispiece; Romanesque period; 1025-50 CE.

 

IN254. Les Tres Riches Houres du Duc du Berry, ("The very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry"), Limbourg Brothers (Flemish); manuscript page depicting activities in Burgundy, France during the month of, February, 1413-16 CE.

(During the first half of the thirteenth century in Gothic France and through the great Renaissance of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in both Italy and significant areas of northern Europe not only did artists return to Greco-Roman Classicism for inspiration, but they also created an art of naturalistic imagery and human psychological expression that advanced far beyond what the Greeks and Romans had achieved. The scene shown above in illustration, IN254 is an excellent example of Renaissance naturalism).