The Lindisfarne Gospels Art, History & Inspiration

by Jackson, Eleanor

• ISBN13: 9780712354813
• ISBN10: 0712354816
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-11-14
• Publisher: British Library Publishing

Summary

The Lindisfarne Gospels is an extraordinary book and one of the British Library’s greatest treasures.

It was hand-written and decorated over 1,300 years ago by a single supremely gifted scribe-artist. It inspires awe both as a pinnacle of book design and for the fascinating story of how it came down to us in almost pristine condition. Every aspect of its design displays meticulous care, keen responsiveness to a wide range of cultural contacts, and the workings of an immense and brilliant imagination.

This brand-new, accessible volume explores the latest research and thinking on the Lindisfarne Gospels and is published as the manuscript goes on loan to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle for an exhibition exploring its meaning in today’s world. This magnificent guide presents a detailed introduction and commentary alongside the highest quality, detailed illustrations which celebrate the intricate, interlaced geometrical precision of one of the finest early medieval craftsmen.

Author Biography

Eleanor Jackson is Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts at the British Library and has recently co-curated the exhibition ‘Gold: Spectacular Manuscripts from Around the World’.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION8

SETTING THE SCENE10
The rise of Christianity in Northumbria16
The cult of St Cuthbert and the creation of the manuscript20
Books and art in the ‘Golden Age’23

INSIDE THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS30
The physical object33
Materials34
Text36
Script39
Decoration39
Canon tables44
Evangelist portraits48
Carpet pages54
Incipit pages58
Chi-rhoand other initials73

THE STORY OF THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS76
Raiders from across the North Sea79
Chester-le-Street and new
additions to the book80
From the Middle Ages
to the Reformation82
Into the modern age85
A book for all times86

Further reading95