DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44947#0038
36
PSALTER AND HOURS
Lessons for the
Feasts of the
Virgin, etc.
49. Fol. 277. In purifications. In large initial E. ThePre-
sentation. An altar on right, behind which Simeon stands and
receives the Child in the humeral veil. Joseph with long
candle and basket of doves follows the Virgin from left.
50. Fol. 281. In assumptions. In large initial D. The
death of the Virgin. She lies stretched on a white couch,
behind which the twelve Apostles are gathered. Above their
heads she is again shown rising to heaven.
51. Fol. 284A Legenda in sabbatis. In initial O of the
first chapter of the Song of Solomon. The Virgin, seated on
an altar, offers her breast to the Child. Looped curtains on
either side. This picture has suffered more than the others
from water, but is still very beautiful.
I have sought in vain for any other manuscript which
can be stated with certainty to have been illuminated in the
same atelier as the two Psalters that I have attempted to
describe. I share Dr. Haseloff’s view that the book that
comes closest and that may be most profitably compared
with them is the splendid Evangelist arium ad usum st con-
suetudinem ecclesieparisiensis, Latin. 17326 at the Bibliotheque
Nationale, which, though containing nothing of a liturgical
character to connect it specially with the Sainte Chapelle,
was in its treasury at an early period, and was evidently
written for royal use. It is still in the original binding of
thick oak boards cased with gold, richly jewelled, and with
magnificent figures in repousse. The edges are blue seme
with gold fleurs-de-lys. The writing of this book, of which
ISABELLE OF FRANCE
there is a replica at the British Museum (Add. 17341), is
precisely the same as that of the two Psalters—intensely
black, with the capitals touched with vermilion. It is in
double columns without line-endings or penwork initials, and
without any of the gold-on-colour decoration which is such a
feature of the two Psalters. But it is replete with branching
ornaments, sharply cusped, that are closely related to the
work of the first of the six hands responsible for the line-
endings and psalm-initials in Mr. Thompson’s manuscript.
Other features that the books have in common are the little
recurved trefoil plants mentioned above,1 and the combination
(found also on some pages of another Sainte Chapelle Evan-
gelistarium, Lat. 8892 at the Bib. Nationale,as well as in Add.
17341 at the British Museum) of strips of coloured diaper
with the burnished gold of the backgrounds. The figure
work, of which there is an enormous amount in the large
initial I’s of the words In illo tempore, beginning each of the
Gospel-readings, is by several hands and of varying merit.
Even in the best miniatures, which are very delicate and
beautiful, it seems to me that the faces are rather expression-
less when compared with those of the Psalters. I am not,
however, prepared to say that none of the illuminators em-
ployed on these took part in the Evangelistarium. There are
manifest affinities, and the differences, that are no less mani-
fest, might be accounted for by an interval of a few years.
The green, red and blue leaves of vine or fig which play a
large part in. the internal decoration of the initials of the
Evangelistarium suggest a rather later date in the thirteenth
century than 1270.
A closely related
book.
‘ P- 3i.
PSALTER AND HOURS
Lessons for the
Feasts of the
Virgin, etc.
49. Fol. 277. In purifications. In large initial E. ThePre-
sentation. An altar on right, behind which Simeon stands and
receives the Child in the humeral veil. Joseph with long
candle and basket of doves follows the Virgin from left.
50. Fol. 281. In assumptions. In large initial D. The
death of the Virgin. She lies stretched on a white couch,
behind which the twelve Apostles are gathered. Above their
heads she is again shown rising to heaven.
51. Fol. 284A Legenda in sabbatis. In initial O of the
first chapter of the Song of Solomon. The Virgin, seated on
an altar, offers her breast to the Child. Looped curtains on
either side. This picture has suffered more than the others
from water, but is still very beautiful.
I have sought in vain for any other manuscript which
can be stated with certainty to have been illuminated in the
same atelier as the two Psalters that I have attempted to
describe. I share Dr. Haseloff’s view that the book that
comes closest and that may be most profitably compared
with them is the splendid Evangelist arium ad usum st con-
suetudinem ecclesieparisiensis, Latin. 17326 at the Bibliotheque
Nationale, which, though containing nothing of a liturgical
character to connect it specially with the Sainte Chapelle,
was in its treasury at an early period, and was evidently
written for royal use. It is still in the original binding of
thick oak boards cased with gold, richly jewelled, and with
magnificent figures in repousse. The edges are blue seme
with gold fleurs-de-lys. The writing of this book, of which
ISABELLE OF FRANCE
there is a replica at the British Museum (Add. 17341), is
precisely the same as that of the two Psalters—intensely
black, with the capitals touched with vermilion. It is in
double columns without line-endings or penwork initials, and
without any of the gold-on-colour decoration which is such a
feature of the two Psalters. But it is replete with branching
ornaments, sharply cusped, that are closely related to the
work of the first of the six hands responsible for the line-
endings and psalm-initials in Mr. Thompson’s manuscript.
Other features that the books have in common are the little
recurved trefoil plants mentioned above,1 and the combination
(found also on some pages of another Sainte Chapelle Evan-
gelistarium, Lat. 8892 at the Bib. Nationale,as well as in Add.
17341 at the British Museum) of strips of coloured diaper
with the burnished gold of the backgrounds. The figure
work, of which there is an enormous amount in the large
initial I’s of the words In illo tempore, beginning each of the
Gospel-readings, is by several hands and of varying merit.
Even in the best miniatures, which are very delicate and
beautiful, it seems to me that the faces are rather expression-
less when compared with those of the Psalters. I am not,
however, prepared to say that none of the illuminators em-
ployed on these took part in the Evangelistarium. There are
manifest affinities, and the differences, that are no less mani-
fest, might be accounted for by an interval of a few years.
The green, red and blue leaves of vine or fig which play a
large part in. the internal decoration of the initials of the
Evangelistarium suggest a rather later date in the thirteenth
century than 1270.
A closely related
book.
‘ P- 3i.