Illuminating the Carolingian era: new discoveries as a result of scientific analyses

Charlotte Denoël,Patricia Roger Puyo,Nathalie Poulain Siloe,Anne-Marie Brunet

doi:10.1186/s40494-018-0194-1

Abstract

Comparing information from the ancient texts about the illumination of the manuscripts to the analysis of the components used to create colour in illuminations sheds interesting light. Our research team studied several manuscripts from the Carolingian era issued from different sources including: the Gospels of St Riquier kept in the library of Abbeville (ms. 4), two Theodulphe’s Bibles, (Orléans-Fleury, BnF lat.11937 and BnF lat.9380), the Godescalc Evangelistary (BnF NAL 1203), the Gospels of St Denis (BnF lat.9387) and the Gospels of St Médard de Soissons (BnF lat.8850), the last three from the court of Charlemagne, and all preserved at the French National Library. These most luxurious manuscripts were written and illuminated between the late eighth century and the first quarter of the ninth century. Through non-destructive portable visual and spectrometric analysis, our research team was able to identify the palette of materials used in scripts and illuminations and especially highlighted the amazing use of Egyptian blue in a very specific part of the illumination in the Godescalc Evangelistary. Our team also found that some substitutes including folium had been used instead of Tyrian purple for the decoration and to dye the parchment. These manuscripts, produced at the initiative of various patrons during Charlemagne’s reign, reveal in the light of the material analysis and the reconstitutions’ experiments by professional illuminators their differences and, beyond, the artistic diversity of this very particular period called the Carolingian Renaissance.

Highlights

Under the council of his two advisors Alcuin and Theodulph, Charlemagne implemented new policies that increased manuscripts production
Two Theodulph’s Bibles: BnF lat.11937 (OrléansFleury, early 9th c.), and BnF lat.9380 (Orléans-Fleury, 801–818), St Riquier’s Gospels: (Abbeville, BM, ms004, before 800), St Denis’s Gospels: BnF lat.9387, the Godescalc Evangelistary: BnF NAL 1203 (781–783) and Saint-Médard de Soissons’s Gospels: BnF lat.8850 (c. 800) [2]. They were written in silver and gold ink, and, for some, on entirely purple parchment
Some illuminations are specific to this corpus: the Godescalc Evangelistary features two new themes: folio 3, Christ (Fig. 12) and folio 3v for the first time in Occident, the illumination representing a Fontain of life (Fig. 13); the last one is taken up in Saint-Médard de Soissons Gospels in folio 6v (Fig. 14)

Summary

Introduction

Under the council of his two advisors Alcuin and Theodulph, Charlemagne implemented new policies that increased manuscripts production His goals were to salvage classical written documents and to copy texts pertaining to liturgy and education. These policies aimed to create new liturgical texts such as the gospels [1]. Beyond the simple text, the school of Charlemagne’s court produced luxurious illuminated manuscripts, elevating his reign to an artistic golden age. We examined this production, especially six manuscripts created in West Francia between the end of the eighth century and the first quarter of the ninth century. We have analyzed the materials the artists used to produce these texts and embellishments

Methods

Results

Conclusion