DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14714#0015
THE ILLUMINATED BOOKS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.
3
letters alone being based upon those of the Roman character, influencing, but actually predominating in many works of
while all their details of ornament are original. the well-established style of the Charlemagne Period Such
It is a style capable of great variety of treatment without is the case in our specimen from the Bible of Charles the
departing from its general principles, of which I have said Bald. The Charlemagne style and its varieties may be said
more in my description of the illustrative plate. It continued to have prevailed on the Continent from the eighth to the
in practice without admixture in part of AVales and Ireland tenth century, and was principally practised at Aix la Lna-
as late as the twelfth century, but on the Continent it became pelle and the surrounding regions.
mingled with what has been termed the Charlemagne style, In some instances, the name of the calligrapher is appended
to be spoken of hereafter; and in England, in conjunction to early MSS., and it would possess a certain artistic interest
with rude Anglo-Saxon art, a style was formed that may be if it could be verified that this personage was also the lllumi-
termed Anglo-Hibernian ; but which latter, as inferior to the nator; but this is a disputed point among archaeologists by
pure style, I shall not dwell upon whom these ancient names are perhaps unjustly shorn of their
For references to MSS. in Irish and Anglo-Irish style, see repute and station in the illustrious line of early artist^ I
the appended list am myself inclined to consider the writer and illuminator as
11 one personage up to the twelfth or thirteenth centuries, after
__ which the writing of books became a species of manufacture,
and it is well known that the office of writer and illuminator
were perfectly distinct; and in some cases the division of
THE EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. - THE laWl was C£iried much farther _ different artists being cm-
ANGLO-SAXON AND CHARLEMAGNE OR ployed on different styles of work in the same volume.
CAROLINE STYLES. For references to MSS. of the Charlemagne period, see the
appended list.
Examples.—three pages from the golden gospels, b. m.__
harl., 2788 ; two pages from the athelstan coro-
nation hook, b. m. cot. tiberius, a. 2 ; and a page
from A. bible executed for charles the bald, B. m. TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTTJRIES.-THE
HARL-' 7°51, STYLE SUPPOSED TO BE THE "OPUS ANGLI-
About the period of Alfred the Great, in England, and CUM" MENTIONED BY AUTHORS OF THE
Charlemagne on the Continent, considerable intercourse PERIOD.
began to take place with Italy, and an admiration for the
last remnants of Roman art still remaining in her provinces,
which in Gaul were very numerous, led to their being Examples.—x page from the benedictional in the posses-
sought as models. The result of this study, was a great sion of the duke of Devonshire, and one from a
simplification in the styles of illumination ; and a debased psalter in the British museum, royal i. d. ix.
form of the Roman acanthus began to be employed both „, , . ., , , , ■. „n:Qj ,^iri,i;
in sculptural and pictorial decoration. The most perfect fl ^les siradar to t lC <^rlcmagnc style and ^ modi-
and consistent development of the new style, was perhaps ficatl°ns continued to prevail during this P^odjut the
that called the Charlemagne style, in which the feature of miniature pictures became much more numerous and a -
interlacing bands and animals was almost entirely aban- rate numbers being executed only ^^J*^™"™?
doned, and the partial bordering more sparingly used. A "F™*. forming very interesting records of the arms dresses
fair example of this style is the (so-called) Ileum Bible and man1ncrs °+f tbe period; but these do no belongto th^
in the British Museum ; but a much finer treatment of it s\nctlJ. decorative features of book ornamentation which form
is exhibited in a Psalter of Charles the Bald, preserved in the °Vct. °j tbc l?'escn* W°rk t f 1o OT™nrp,l iu Fn*
the Bibliotheque Nationale of France. In the corresponding . About the tenth century, a distinct style appearedin Eng-
Anglo-Saxon period, a much stronger admixture of the inter- land' ^ch without displacing others was P^sed to a
laced work appeared ; the great initials being formed, like gfeat extent for about two centuries. The specimens we have
those of the Continental style, by gold or silver bands but S1™? from the Duke of Devonshire s Benedictional, and fiom
much more intricately interlaced at the extremities. Our \MS- m .the B"tlsb Museum will be sufficient to show the
examples from the Gospels of Athelstan, thc grandson of characteristics of this rich and magnificent style, which we
Alfred (though considered by some to have been executed have every reason to consider national; no specimens existing
on the Continent), exhibit in thc initial I the peculiarities f ai'16S ° }\Co?tmc^ e?cef sudl aS "J ^Tt£
described. But thc grandest style formed bV the junction have c°m?. T'lf^fX ^ En§'land' aS 18 the CaSC W1* ^
of the Anglo-Irish style with one founded on debased Roman, two splendid MSS. at Rouen.
is that exhibited in the Golden Gospels, from which we have . IlllS S?lc' arranfd bar* of Sold> fo™-
given three superb examples inS comPlctc broad and noble framcs to the text, and with
This may be called a distinct style, as the interlacing fea- which foliage is made to interlace with such an original[effect,
tures, with their dark rich colouring, are so happily blended tbo»gb * disappears after the eleventh century in thef com-
with the grand and simple Roman forms as to make the union P}efenes« °VtS aa«aai, charactefr.' ^ fo1 1 L Zl
most effective: whilst a leading feature of Irish origin, that of styles whlch are- nea^ " "f ^ pI°LhuT a work of
making thc whole of the writing of the principal pages deco- specimen page from the Salisbury Lcctionaiium a work of
rative Ins -^l „ -fi f i • l"""'1PtU P3^8.ucou the end of the fourteenth century, the two gold bars will be
setS s ed^m t^t^S^SZ observed forming massive .cornerI and enriched with inter-
that disappears in later specimens both of iigul and SS weaving foliage, upon a sitndar P^';.^f^"
nental art of this era, at all events in the very complete and Ie7 dlfff ?ft ,m4 the dc ad' ^ oxhibits the pecul ai
well-knit form exhibited in the specimen alluded to. But some fe„elm8 of th,e later period—namely, less positive symmetry
Continental MSS. of thc ninth and tenth centuries exhibit the of corresponding parts, more general variety and slenderness
Charlemagne, or, as it may be termed, Franco-Roman* style, of, f?™' and gcnerally a Skater angularity of treatment;
alhed to the interlacing features of the Irish and Anglo-Irish wblle, fi^res! architectural features and other objecte are
styles, in which the peculiar characteristics of the latter pre- introduced with great profusion Still, the principles of the
dominate Such is thc feeling exhibited in a Bible illuminated ^and tentb cent^t sfef \vdl be.found j0 form
for Charles the Bald, thc grandson of Charlemagne from The same may be said °f thc St/le. which succeeded that
which our next specimen is taken. This is very interesting of the Salisbury Lcctionanum early in the fifteenth century,
as showing the strong vital principles of a strictly new and as wiU be sccn on rcfcrencc to our examples of that period
original style (I allude to the pure Irish work of the sixth from MrI 0wen Joncs' Psalter' and the ^ ?omt thf
century) for not only do wc find it existing unmixed at home Pocms of Mgatc. magnificent style of thc tenth
for the long period of six centuries — specimens beine in century, which I believe to be the Opus Anghcum, held
existence executed as late as the year 1200 a d _but we in sucb estimation on the Continent at that period, is there-
here find its leading features carried by the early An<do- fore not only admirable in itself, on account of its completeness
Saxon and Irish Missionaries to the Continent and not oiilv and vcry tbstinct character, but also as forming the basis of
' ' y two later, and both, national styles. Most of the grand
* The earliest French MS mav he termed a, ir , MSS- in tbe peculiar style of the tenth century, appear to
the latest Roman art «s modified by its pBwtitioS^^^^S have been executed at Winchester, where, it would seem, an
Franks minted a barbaric style with it, forming what may he termed a Franco especial school of illumination was founded under the patronage
Galhcan style while the last phase shows the abandoning of thc Galilean of the great Bishop Ethelwold.
features for a Franeo-Roman combination. For references to MSS. in this style, see the appended list.
3
letters alone being based upon those of the Roman character, influencing, but actually predominating in many works of
while all their details of ornament are original. the well-established style of the Charlemagne Period Such
It is a style capable of great variety of treatment without is the case in our specimen from the Bible of Charles the
departing from its general principles, of which I have said Bald. The Charlemagne style and its varieties may be said
more in my description of the illustrative plate. It continued to have prevailed on the Continent from the eighth to the
in practice without admixture in part of AVales and Ireland tenth century, and was principally practised at Aix la Lna-
as late as the twelfth century, but on the Continent it became pelle and the surrounding regions.
mingled with what has been termed the Charlemagne style, In some instances, the name of the calligrapher is appended
to be spoken of hereafter; and in England, in conjunction to early MSS., and it would possess a certain artistic interest
with rude Anglo-Saxon art, a style was formed that may be if it could be verified that this personage was also the lllumi-
termed Anglo-Hibernian ; but which latter, as inferior to the nator; but this is a disputed point among archaeologists by
pure style, I shall not dwell upon whom these ancient names are perhaps unjustly shorn of their
For references to MSS. in Irish and Anglo-Irish style, see repute and station in the illustrious line of early artist^ I
the appended list am myself inclined to consider the writer and illuminator as
11 one personage up to the twelfth or thirteenth centuries, after
__ which the writing of books became a species of manufacture,
and it is well known that the office of writer and illuminator
were perfectly distinct; and in some cases the division of
THE EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. - THE laWl was C£iried much farther _ different artists being cm-
ANGLO-SAXON AND CHARLEMAGNE OR ployed on different styles of work in the same volume.
CAROLINE STYLES. For references to MSS. of the Charlemagne period, see the
appended list.
Examples.—three pages from the golden gospels, b. m.__
harl., 2788 ; two pages from the athelstan coro-
nation hook, b. m. cot. tiberius, a. 2 ; and a page
from A. bible executed for charles the bald, B. m. TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTTJRIES.-THE
HARL-' 7°51, STYLE SUPPOSED TO BE THE "OPUS ANGLI-
About the period of Alfred the Great, in England, and CUM" MENTIONED BY AUTHORS OF THE
Charlemagne on the Continent, considerable intercourse PERIOD.
began to take place with Italy, and an admiration for the
last remnants of Roman art still remaining in her provinces,
which in Gaul were very numerous, led to their being Examples.—x page from the benedictional in the posses-
sought as models. The result of this study, was a great sion of the duke of Devonshire, and one from a
simplification in the styles of illumination ; and a debased psalter in the British museum, royal i. d. ix.
form of the Roman acanthus began to be employed both „, , . ., , , , ■. „n:Qj ,^iri,i;
in sculptural and pictorial decoration. The most perfect fl ^les siradar to t lC <^rlcmagnc style and ^ modi-
and consistent development of the new style, was perhaps ficatl°ns continued to prevail during this P^odjut the
that called the Charlemagne style, in which the feature of miniature pictures became much more numerous and a -
interlacing bands and animals was almost entirely aban- rate numbers being executed only ^^J*^™"™?
doned, and the partial bordering more sparingly used. A "F™*. forming very interesting records of the arms dresses
fair example of this style is the (so-called) Ileum Bible and man1ncrs °+f tbe period; but these do no belongto th^
in the British Museum ; but a much finer treatment of it s\nctlJ. decorative features of book ornamentation which form
is exhibited in a Psalter of Charles the Bald, preserved in the °Vct. °j tbc l?'escn* W°rk t f 1o OT™nrp,l iu Fn*
the Bibliotheque Nationale of France. In the corresponding . About the tenth century, a distinct style appearedin Eng-
Anglo-Saxon period, a much stronger admixture of the inter- land' ^ch without displacing others was P^sed to a
laced work appeared ; the great initials being formed, like gfeat extent for about two centuries. The specimens we have
those of the Continental style, by gold or silver bands but S1™? from the Duke of Devonshire s Benedictional, and fiom
much more intricately interlaced at the extremities. Our \MS- m .the B"tlsb Museum will be sufficient to show the
examples from the Gospels of Athelstan, thc grandson of characteristics of this rich and magnificent style, which we
Alfred (though considered by some to have been executed have every reason to consider national; no specimens existing
on the Continent), exhibit in thc initial I the peculiarities f ai'16S ° }\Co?tmc^ e?cef sudl aS "J ^Tt£
described. But thc grandest style formed bV the junction have c°m?. T'lf^fX ^ En§'land' aS 18 the CaSC W1* ^
of the Anglo-Irish style with one founded on debased Roman, two splendid MSS. at Rouen.
is that exhibited in the Golden Gospels, from which we have . IlllS S?lc' arranfd bar* of Sold> fo™-
given three superb examples inS comPlctc broad and noble framcs to the text, and with
This may be called a distinct style, as the interlacing fea- which foliage is made to interlace with such an original[effect,
tures, with their dark rich colouring, are so happily blended tbo»gb * disappears after the eleventh century in thef com-
with the grand and simple Roman forms as to make the union P}efenes« °VtS aa«aai, charactefr.' ^ fo1 1 L Zl
most effective: whilst a leading feature of Irish origin, that of styles whlch are- nea^ " "f ^ pI°LhuT a work of
making thc whole of the writing of the principal pages deco- specimen page from the Salisbury Lcctionaiium a work of
rative Ins -^l „ -fi f i • l"""'1PtU P3^8.ucou the end of the fourteenth century, the two gold bars will be
setS s ed^m t^t^S^SZ observed forming massive .cornerI and enriched with inter-
that disappears in later specimens both of iigul and SS weaving foliage, upon a sitndar P^';.^f^"
nental art of this era, at all events in the very complete and Ie7 dlfff ?ft ,m4 the dc ad' ^ oxhibits the pecul ai
well-knit form exhibited in the specimen alluded to. But some fe„elm8 of th,e later period—namely, less positive symmetry
Continental MSS. of thc ninth and tenth centuries exhibit the of corresponding parts, more general variety and slenderness
Charlemagne, or, as it may be termed, Franco-Roman* style, of, f?™' and gcnerally a Skater angularity of treatment;
alhed to the interlacing features of the Irish and Anglo-Irish wblle, fi^res! architectural features and other objecte are
styles, in which the peculiar characteristics of the latter pre- introduced with great profusion Still, the principles of the
dominate Such is thc feeling exhibited in a Bible illuminated ^and tentb cent^t sfef \vdl be.found j0 form
for Charles the Bald, thc grandson of Charlemagne from The same may be said °f thc St/le. which succeeded that
which our next specimen is taken. This is very interesting of the Salisbury Lcctionanum early in the fifteenth century,
as showing the strong vital principles of a strictly new and as wiU be sccn on rcfcrencc to our examples of that period
original style (I allude to the pure Irish work of the sixth from MrI 0wen Joncs' Psalter' and the ^ ?omt thf
century) for not only do wc find it existing unmixed at home Pocms of Mgatc. magnificent style of thc tenth
for the long period of six centuries — specimens beine in century, which I believe to be the Opus Anghcum, held
existence executed as late as the year 1200 a d _but we in sucb estimation on the Continent at that period, is there-
here find its leading features carried by the early An<do- fore not only admirable in itself, on account of its completeness
Saxon and Irish Missionaries to the Continent and not oiilv and vcry tbstinct character, but also as forming the basis of
' ' y two later, and both, national styles. Most of the grand
* The earliest French MS mav he termed a, ir , MSS- in tbe peculiar style of the tenth century, appear to
the latest Roman art «s modified by its pBwtitioS^^^^S have been executed at Winchester, where, it would seem, an
Franks minted a barbaric style with it, forming what may he termed a Franco especial school of illumination was founded under the patronage
Galhcan style while the last phase shows the abandoning of thc Galilean of the great Bishop Ethelwold.
features for a Franeo-Roman combination. For references to MSS. in this style, see the appended list.