Artwork Page for Text, folio 359 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

Details / Information for Text, folio 359 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

Text, folio 359 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

c. 1000–1100
This object has related works. See

Byzantium, Constantinople

View all records in artwork set
Medium
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum; leather binding
Measurements
Sheet: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1942.152.359.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
105 Byzantine(not visible)
ArtLens App
Print
?

Did You Know?

Gospel books were carried in procession through Byzantine churches.

Description

Each of the four gospels in this book opens on a page with brilliantly illuminated borders depicting the author of the text as well as birds—principally peacocks, symbols of the immortality of the soul—and fountains, representing the fountain of life and the salvation of the soul. This volume consists of 428 leaves with texts in Greek. Its level of sophistication suggests that it was probably written and decorated in a monastery in Constantinople.
A vertically oriented manuscript on cream vellum features dark brown Greek characters arranged in steady rows with tiny marginalia filling the gaps. Large, reddish-brown initial letters highlighted with gold punctuate the text. The vellum shows subtle wrinkles and aged edges, while the stacked pages of the book are visible on the left. The overall composition is dense and rhythmic, reflecting the meticulous work of a scribe.

Text, folio 359 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

c. 1000–1100

Byzantium, Constantinople

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork