J.W.

Richter

Illuminated Manuscripts

Fig. 1: Winchester Bible, Second Kings (initial)

2
 J.W. Richter

Illuminated
Manuscripts

-2010-
© 2010 J.W. Richter
published by LULU

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: xxx-x-xxxx-xxxx-x

4
Contents
Introduction..............................................................................7
600 AD: The Rabbula Gospels.................................................9
Ascension........................................................................9
crucifixion.....................................................................10
Canon Tables ................................................................11
800 AD: The Book of Kells...................................................12
1130: St. Albans Psalter.........................................................13
Initals.............................................................................13
Initals.............................................................................14
The Harrowing of Hell .................................................15
1135: The Bury Bible.............................................................16
Frontispiece...................................................................17
1148: The Parc Abbey Bible .................................................18
1175: The Winchester Bible ..................................................19
The Creator-god............................................................20
Creator-god....................................................................21
The last judgment..........................................................22
Story of Elijah being taken up to heaven......................23
The Morgan Leaf...........................................................24
God addressing Jeremiah..............................................25
Opening of the Book of Hosea......................................26
1229: Codex Gigas.................................................................27
1250: The Morgan Bible .......................................................28
1300: The Fécamp Bible .......................................................29
Book of Psalms.............................................................31
Genesis-scene................................................................32

5
Figures
Fig. 1: Winchester Bible, Second Kings (initial).......................1
Fig. 2: Ascension........................................................................9
Fig. 3: Crucification.................................................................10
Fig. 4: Red & blue alternating decorations..............................11
Fig. 5: Book of Kells...............................................................12
Fig. 6: Initials from the psalms in the St. Albans Psalter.........13
Fig. 7: Initials from the psalms in the St. Albans Psalter.........14
Fig. 8: The Harrowing of Hell.................................................15
Fig. 9: Moses and Aaron (detail)..............................................16
Fig. 10: Frontispiece of the Bury Bible (1135)........................17
Fig. 11: the Virgin and Child ...................................................18
Fig. 12: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail).............................19
Fig. 13: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail).............................20
Fig. 14: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail).............................21
Fig. 15: Fol.5, detail. Christ at the Last Judgment...................22
Fig. 16: Winchester Bible, fol.120v. - Second Kings (detail). .23
Fig. 17: The Morgan Leaf........................................................24
Fig. 18: God addressing Jeremiah in fol. 148..........................25
Fig. 19: Opening of the Book of Hosea...................................26
Fig. 20: Picture from Codex Gigas..........................................27
Fig. 21: The Israelites are repulsed from Hai...........................28
Fig. 22: King David playing a harp.........................................30
Fig. 23: Initial B (Beatus) from the Book of Psalms...............31
Fig. 24: Genesis-scene in the Fecamp Bible (detail)...............32

6
Introduction1
In the early Middle Ages, the production of copies of the Bible
in its entirety was rare. Individual books or collections of
books were produced for specific purposes. Gospel Books were
produced for both private study and as "display books" for
ceremonial and ornamental purposes. Many of these volumes
were elaborate; the Gospel Book was the most common form
of heavily illuminated manuscript until about the 11th century,
when the Romanesque Bible and Psalter largely superseded it
in the West. In the East they remained a significant subject for
illumination until the arrival of printing.
During the Romanesque period, the focus of major illumination
in the West moved from the Gospel Book to the Psalter and the
Bible, and the Winchester manuscript is one of the most lavish
of a group of Romanesque and early Gothic illuminated Bibles
including the Codex Gigas, the Parc Abbey Bible, the Fécamp
Bible and the Morgan Bible.
As will be identified in the following examples most
decorations of all medieval manuscripts are often in two or
three primary colours, in which red and blue are the dominant
colours for initials, decorations and illuminations.
The Winchester Bible will often apply red colours in
combinations with either blue or green for initials and
decorations. The colours green and blue may often only be
identified at close inspections. From a distance green colours
may be mistaken for blue. For this reason we will regularly
apply detailed close-ups for the photographs.

1
Information from Wikipedia Gospel Book

7
In most analysed illuminations red and blue must be considered
as the dominant symbolic colours. Green and gold (or yellow)
may be considered as background decorative elements without
special religious symbolism.
The reason for the dominance of red & blue over green &
yellow has been explained in The Hermetic Codex as a
reference to the (25) divine commands in Book Exodus and
will be confirmed in the examples as documented in this
manuscript.

8
600 AD: The Rabbula Gospels
The Rabbula Gospels, or Rabula Gospels, (Florence, Biblioteca
Mediceo Laurenziana, cod. Plut. I, 56) is a 6th century
illuminated Syriac Gospel Book.

Ascension
Although the paintings are basically red & blue the decorations
are probably alternating red, blue and green.

Fig. 2: Ascension

Folio 13v of the Rabula Gospels (Mesopotamia, 6th century

AD) from Wikimedia Commons

9
crucifixion
The earliest crucifixion in an illuminated manuscript, from the
Rabbula Gospels. The decorations at the border of the painting
are clearly alternating red, blue and green.

Fig. 3: Crucification

10
Canon Tables
The decorations at the border of the tables are clearly
alternating red, and blue.

Fig. 4: Red & blue alternating decorations

Folio 4v of the Rabula Gospels (Florence, Biblioteca Mediceo

Laurenziana, cod. Plut. I, 560), Canon Tables
public domain

11
800 AD: The Book of Kells
The following folio from the Book of Kells reveals the colours
red, blue, purple and gold. The lettering is in iron gall ink, and
the colours used were derived from a wide range of substances,
many of which were imports from distant lands.

Fig. 5: Book of Kells

The Book of Kells, c. 800, showing the lavishly decorated text

that opens the Gospel of John. Folio 292r, Incipit to John. In
principio erat verbum.

12
1130: St. Albans Psalter

Initals
The St. Albans Psalter, also known as the Albani Psalter or the
Psalter of Christina of Markyate, is an English illuminated
manuscript, one of several Psalters known to have been created
at or for St Albans Abbey in the 12th century.

Fig. 6: Initials from the psalms in the St. Albans Psalter.

The initials from the beginning of psalms in the St. Albans

Psalter are basically coloured red & blue. Green may be
applied as a background colour.
public domain because its copyright has expired.

13
Initals

Fig. 7: Initials from the psalms in the St. Albans Psalter.

The initials from the beginning of psalms in the St. Albans

Psalter are basically coloured red & blue. Green may be
applied as a background colour.
public domain because its copyright has expired.

14
The Harrowing of Hell
The following borders and Christ's garments have been
decorated in purple and blue.

Fig. 8: The Harrowing of Hell

public domain because its copyright has expired.

15
1135: The Bury Bible
A scene in red, blue, green and yellow-orange from the Bury
St Edmunds Bible by Master Hugo. Border decorations are in
red, blue, yellow and green.

Fig. 9: Moses and Aaron (detail)

Moses (in purple and red) and Aaron (in green and blue)
explaining the ten commandments

16
Frontispiece
The frontispiece of the Bury Bible (1135) displays persons
dressed in red, white and blue garments, illustrated with green
background areas.

Fig. 10: Frontispiece of the Bury Bible (1135)

Wikimedia Commons. public domain because its copyright has expired.

17
1148: The Parc Abbey Bible

Fig. 11: the Virgin and Child

The Parc Abbey Bible2 is a 12th century illuminated Bible. It

was made in the Leuven region of Belgium at the Abbey of St.
Mary of Parc. A colophon on folio 197 indicates that the codex
was produced in 1148. The following painting of Mary and
Jesus has been coloured in purple-red, blue and green.
Miniature of the Virgin and Child from Folio 20r of the Parc
Abbey Bible.
2
London, British Library, Add. MS 14788, 14789, and 14790

18
1175: The Winchester Bible
The Winchester Bible is a Romanesque illuminated manuscript
produced in Winchester between 1160 and 1175. With folios
measuring 583 x 396 mm., it is the largest surviving 12th-
century English Bible.

Fig. 12: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail)

Analysing folio 169 of the Winchester Bible3 the initials are

repeatedly alternating the colours green, red, blue, red.

3
The images are public domain because their copyright has expired.

19
The Creator-god
At the same folio 169 the initials depict a Creator-god who has
been dressed in the traditional red and blue garments. Green is
a background colour.

Fig. 13: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail)

20
Creator-god
At the same folio 169 the initials depict another Creator-god
who has been dressed in the traditional red and blue garments.
Initials apply red, blue, red, green – combinations.

Fig. 14: Winchester Bible. Fol.169. (detail)

21
The last judgment
At fol. 5 Christ has been dressed in orange-red and blue
garments.

Fig. 15: Fol.5, detail. Christ at the Last Judgment

The images are public domain because their copyright has expired.

22
Story of Elijah being taken up to heaven
The Winchester Bible, fol.120v. clearly reveals a few lines of
alternated red and blue colours at the right side of the P-initial
in the story of Elijah being taken up to heaven.

Fig. 16: Winchester Bible, fol.120v. - Second Kings (detail)

The images are public domain because their copyright has expired.

23
The Morgan Leaf

Fig. 17: The Morgan Leaf

The Morgan Leaf also clearly depicts a scene in the main

colours red and blue. Over the years, the manuscript has
suffered at the hands of thieves and collectors. One of these
missing folios, showing scenes from the lives of Samuel on the
recto and of King David on the verso, is now in the Morgan
Library and is commonly referred to as the Morgan Leaf.

24
God addressing Jeremiah
This page of the Winchester Bible clearly reveals a few letters
in alternated red and blue colours at the right side of the initial.
Other lines apply red & green or blue & green colours.

Fig. 18: God addressing Jeremiah in fol. 148

Fol.148. Detail of God addressing Jeremiah

Wikimedia Commons. public domain because its copyright has expired.

25
Opening of the Book of Hosea
The Opening of the Book of Hosea shows the prophet Hosea
preaching to the Israelites and confounding the Devil. The
initial lines are coloured in alternating red, blue and green
lines.

Fig. 19: Opening of the Book of Hosea

26
1229: Codex Gigas
The Codex Gigas4 is the largest extant medieval manuscript in
the world. The codex was believed to be created by Herman the
Recluse in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice near
Chrudim, which was destroyed during the 15th century.
Records in the codex end in the year 1229.
The following painting applies red, orange, blue and green.

Fig. 20: Picture from Codex Gigas

4
English: Giant Book

27
1250: The Morgan Bible
The Morgan Bible uses border decorations in red & blue for
illustrations in red, blue and green.

Fig. 21: The Israelites are repulsed from Hai

"The Israelites are repulsed from Hai" (fol. 10r)

public domain because its copyright has expired.

28
1300: The Fécamp Bible
The Fécamp Bible (London, British Library) is an illuminated
Latin Bible. It was produced in Paris during the third quarter of
the thirteenth century.
Each book of the Bible and the major sections of Psalms is
introduced by a large initial in colours and gold. Exception are
the books of Deuteronomy, Isaiah and Haggai. The openings to
Deuteronomy and Isaiah are on folios replaced in the fifteenth
century (folios 71 and 301). Folio 301 has large decorated
initials at the beginning of the Book of Isaiah. The Book of
Haggai has large thirteenth century flourished initial (folio
391v). In all there 79 extant large historiated initials. The
beginnings of the prologues have large zoomorphic and foliate
initials. The beginning of each chapter is marked by a small
initial in red with blue pen flourishes or in blue with red pen
flourishes.

29
 Fig. 22: King David playing a harp.

Folio 238r of the Fécamp Bible (British Library, Yates

Thompson 1), Detail of Initial B (Beatus) from the Book of
Psalms. King David playing a harp.
Wikimedia Commons. public domain because its copyright has expired.

30
Book of Psalms
Initials alternating in red and blue in the Book of Psalms.

Fig. 23: Initial B (Beatus) from the Book of Psalms

Folio 238r of the Fécamp Bible (British Library, Yates

Thompson 1), Detail of Initial B (Beatus) from the Book of
Psalms. King David playing a harp.
Wikimedia Commons. public domain because its copyright has expired.

31
Genesis-scene
The Genesis-scene has been illustrated with red and blue letters
"Gene". The Creator-god has been depicted in traditional red
and blue garments.

Fig. 24: Genesis-scene in the Fecamp Bible (detail)

Folio 4v of the Fécamp Bible.

Historiated initial "I" at the beginning of Genesis
with the creation.
Wikimedia Commons. public domain because its copyright has expired.

32