theological documents are the information that we read in the gospels.
what information do we read in the gospels?
theological documents
Na
Na
the lindisfarne gospels are not an example of "isolated genius... in an otherwise dark age": there were other gospel books produced in the same time period and geographic area that have similar qualities to the lindisfarne gospels. the lindisfarne monastery not only produced the lindisfarne gospels, but the durham gospels and echternach gospels as well. these gospel books were credited to “the ‘durnham-echternach calligrapher’, thought to be the oldest member of the lindisfarne scriptorium”. the echternach gospels are might have been made during the creation of the lindisfarne gospels and the durham gospels came after, but in an old-fashioned style. the gospels of saint chad (lichfield cathedral, chapter library) employ a very similar style to the lindisfarne gospels, and it is even speculated that the artist was attempting to emulate eadfrith's work. surviving pages from the gospels of saint chad also have a cross-carpet page and animal and bird interlace, but the designs do not achieve the same perfection, and are seen as looser and heavier than eadfrith's. the design of the lindisfarne gospels has also been related to the tara brooch (national museum of ireland, dublin), displaying animal interlace, curvilinear patterns, and borders of bird interlace, but unfortunately the origin and place of the brooch are unknown. the durham gospels (durham cathedral library) are suspected as having been created slightly earlier than the lindisfarne gospels, and while they have the bird interlace, the birds are less natural and real than eadfrith's birds in the lindisfarne gospels. the book of durrow (trinity college, dublin) is also thought of as an earlier insular manuscript, as the style of the manuscript is simpler and less developed than that of the lindisfarne gospels. the book of kells (trinity college, dublin, ms a. i.6 (58)) employs decorative patterns that are similar to other insular art pieces of the period, but is thought to have been produced much later than the lindisfarne gospels.
lindisfarne gospels