Carolingian art: Encyclopedia II - Carolingian art - Illuminated manuscripts

Carolingian art - Illuminated manuscripts

The most numerous surviving works of the Carolingian renaissance are illuminated manuscripts. Under Charlemagne's direction, new Gospels and liturgical works were prepared, as were teaching materials such as historical, literary and scientific works from ancient authors. Carolingian art had different monastic centers throughout the Carolingian Empire, known as ateliers, and each atelier had its own style that developed based on the artists and influences of that particular location and time. The earliest was the Court School of Charlemagne; then a Rheimsian style, which became the most influential of the Carolingian period; a Touronian style; a Drogo style; and finally a Court School of Charles the Bald. These are the major centers, but others exist, characterized by the works of art produced there.

The Court School of Charlemagne (also known as the Ada School) produced the earliest manuscripts, including the Godescalc Evangelistary (781–783); the Lorsch Gospels (778–820); the Ada Gospels (picture:St.Matthew); the Soissons Gospels; and the Coronation Gospels (picture:St.Matthew). The Court School manuscripts were ornate, courtly ostentatious, and reminiscent of 6th century ivories and mosaics from Ravenna, Italy. They were the earliest Carolingian manuscripts and initiated a revival of Roman classicism, yet still maintained Migration Period art (Merovingian and Hiberno-Saxon) traditions in their basically linear presentation, with no concern for volume and spatial relationships.

In the early 9th century Archbishop Ebo of Rheims, at Hautvillers (near Rheims), assembled artists and transformed Carolingian art to something entirely new. The Gospel book of Ebbo (816–835) was painted with swift, fresh and vibrant brush strokes, evoking an inspiration and energy unknown in classical Mediterranean forms (see image this page and picture:St.Matthew). Other books associated with the Rheims school include the Utrecht Psalter (picture:gallery), which was perhaps the most important of all Carolingian manuscripts, and the Bern Physiologus, the earliest Latin edition of the Christian allegorical text on animals. The expressive animations of the Rheims school, in particular the Utrecht Psalter with its naturalistic expressive figurine line drawings, would have influence on northern medieval art for centuries to follow, into the Romanesque period.

Another style developed at the monastery of St Martin of Tours, in which large Bibles were illustrated based on Late Antiquity Bible illustrations. Three large Touronian Bibles were created, the last, and best, example was made about 845/846 for Charles the Bald, called the Vivian Bible. The Tours School was cut short by the invasion of the Normans in 853, but its style had already left a permanent mark on other centers in the Carolingian Empire.

The diocese of Metz was another center of Carolingian art. Between 850 and 855 a sacramentary was made for Archbishop Drogo called the Drogo Sacramentary. The illuminated "historiated" decorated initials (see image this page) were to have influence into the Romanesque period and were a harmonious union of classical lettering with figural scenes.

In the second half of the 9th century the traditions of the first half continued. A number of richly decorated Bibles were made for Charles the Bald, fusing Late Antiquity forms with the styles developed at Rheims and Tours. It was during this time a Franco-Saxon style appeared in the north of France, integrating Hiberno-Saxon interlace, and would outlast all other Carolingian styles into the next century.

Charles the Bald, like his grandfather, also established a Court School. Its location is uncertain but several manuscripts are attributed to it, with the Codex Aureus (870) (picture:Charles the Bald Enthroned) being the last and most spectacular. It contained Touronian and Rheimsian elements, but fused with the style that characterized Charlemagne's Court School more formal manuscripts.

With the death of Charles the Bald patronage for manuscripts declined, signaling the beginning of the end, but some work did continue for a while. The Abbey of St. Gall created the Folchard Psalter (872) and the Golden Psalter (883). This Gallish style was unique, but lacked the level of technical mastery seen in other regions.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Illuminated manuscripts", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki