Concerning the Cotton Genesis and Other Illustrated Manuscripts of Genesis
John Lowden
This article seeks to open up discussion of the Cotton Genesis by questioning its use as a paradigm for narrative illustration in early period. The approach is not via usual iconographic connections, but through consideration other essential characteristic manuscript: isolation within single volume text alone. A survey Byzantine and Western material--notably Vienna Genesis, Bodl. Junius 11, "Millstatt Genesis," 2721, "Egerton Genesis"--emphasizes un-usual nature Genesis. No evidence found that special manuscripts (with or without illustration) than were produced East West during medieval period, later. Referring vernacular paraphrases "Genesis manuscripts" inaccurate tendentious. Both find context interest late antiquity. manuscript best considered remarkable experiment with possibilities book illustration, normative. new reconstruction opening (Appendix) clarify precise relationship between surviving fragments original appearance book.
Gesta