Getty Museum

Gospel Book

Date

about 826–838

Medium

Tempera colors

Culture

Carolingian

Department

Manuscripts

Institution

Getty Museum

This Christian manuscript, a copy of the four Gospels, features a restrained but aesthetically pleasing decorative program, including architectural elements, small crosses, and gold and red letters executed in a neat hand. A set of multicolored arcades, evocative of the ancient marble columns frequently re-used in church architecture during this period, spans twelve pages. These pages feature the Eusebian canon tables, a system for showing correspondences between the four Gospel texts that was developed by the bishop of Caesarea, Eusebius (d. c. 340). This manuscript was copied by a monk named Valhram, who included his name in a cipher on folio 3v. There, each golden cross-shaped monogram abbreviates a word, and together they form a sentence that translates as follows: "Bishop Folcwich ordered Valhram to write." Folcwich was a bishop in Worms, a town near Lorsch where this manuscript was made, from 826 to 838. Although this manuscript is over 1,200 years old, it is in almost pristine condition, save for several leaves showing some discoloration, probably evidence of water damage. Parchment, which is made from highly processed animal skin, is susceptible to changes in humidity, but otherwise is a very sturdy writing support.

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