The Xanten Purple Leaf and the Carolingian Renaissance
Hanns Swarzenski
The search for the actual prototypes of so-called Carolingian Renaissance will long remain one foremost tasks imposed on historian art. He must ask himself where and when these were created how they may have looked. question as to what stands behind remarkably great strange creations painting be raised each its compositions every single motive figure produced in various schools. If, however, it becomes possible answer this question, probably differ individual case. For tendencies art did not manifest themselves a conscious reversion definite style past, case fifteenth sixteenth centuries, but rather drawing from vast, heterogeneous repertory forms content which had been left by all preceding both West East.
Art Bulletin