Hic Homo Formatur: The Genesis Frontispieces of the Carolingian Bibles
Herbert L. Kessler
Manuscripts of the complete Bible illuminated with a unified and comprehensive set illustrations are unknown before ninth century. Only single books small compendia such as Pentateuch Gospels, illustrated pictures interspersed within columns text, gathered together at tops or bottoms text pages, or, occasionally, arranged on separate folios, survive from Early Christian period; surely no full ever was density typical these early volumes.1 To provide biblical consistent illustrations, artists eventually developed system full-page miniatures placed front various books, thereby establishing clear over-all structure while severely reducing total number pictures. In constructing miniatures, illuminators did not reject earlier tradition – quite contrary. As Köhler has argued for Bibles Tours,2 Gaehde shown San Paolo Bible,3 Weitzmann demonstrated Greek Leo (Vatican, Cod. Reg. gr. I),4 drew heavily illustration to create their illustrations.
Art Bulletin