The book of durrow is stylistically related to the book of kells an the book of durrow dublin, trinity college library, ms a. Ink and tempera on parchment saint matthew, coronation gospels gospel book of charlemagne, from aachen, germany, ca. Man symbol of saint matthew book of durrow possibly from iona, scotland c 660680. The book of durrow is an early medieval gospel book decorated with carpet pages and framed symbols of the evangelists. Matthew, from the book of durrow, latter half of the 7 th century, ce. Lion symbol of saint john, from the book of durrow vs.
The durrow scribes, however, attributed different symbols to the evangelists than found in other works. The text consists of several prefatory pages and the vulgate version of the gospels but presented in the prevulgate order of matthew, john, luke. Matthew in the book of durrow depicts a male figure with pale hair and what appears to be a beard or sideburns. The book of durrow is a medieval illuminated manuscript gospel book in the insular art style. Early medieval europe franklin township public schools.
Unlike most early irish manuscripts the scribeartist of the book of durrow followed the interpretation of the symbols proposed by st ireneus. Equestrian portrait of charles the bald carolingian 9th century. The book of durrow is unusual in that it does not use the traditional scheme for assigning the symbols to the evangelists. Early medievel romanesque figure 1 purse cover from.
Mark is represented by an eagle rather the traditional lion. He is wrapped from neck to ankles in a heavily decorated cloak. The book of durrow also contains pages with elaborate illuminated initials, such as the chiro page. Now matthew does not have one, but there is, most unusually, one as the last page in the book. Columba as the scribe and creator of the book of durrow, but investigation in the 1980s revealed that the name of the scribe had been erased and st. These two images of portray the same religious figure from three hundred years apart.
In the book of durrow each of the four gospel books has a carpet page facing a page dedicated to the symbol of the evangelist who wrote that gospel, framed by an elaborate interlace border. These elaborately decorated initials are found not only in luxury volumes such as the book of kells, the lindisfarne gospels fig. The material aspects of our project manuscripts can give us insight into the writing and reading culture of early medieval ireland. Each one is holding a pen, and each one has a companion. Iona, scottland, ink and tempera on parchment, 9 early medieval.
Housed in the library of trinity college dublin, it is regarded as second only to the book of kells. It currently resides in trinity college dublin, and the author is the keeper of manuscripts there. Matthews symbol is a man or angel, often because the gospel of matthew begins with a genealogy or human descent of jesus. They represent the four authors of the gospels matthew, mark, luke, and john. Probably made at iona, scotland, or in northern england. Size, script, organization, and wear all give indications of how they have been used and treated over the centuries. Book of durrow and the book of dimna irish pictures 1888. Symbol of the evangelist matthew, the gospel book of durrow.
It was probably created between 650 and 700, in either durrow or northumbria in northern england, where lindisfarne or durham would be the likely. Images of the evangelist matthew in the book of durrow and. Figure 166 man symbol of saint matthew, folio 21 verso of the book of durrow, possibly from iona, scotland, ca. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Each of the four evangelists gospel writers is traditionally associated with one of the symbolic figures found in the book of ezekiel.
An early medieval manuscript from the second half of the seventh century. The book of durrow is unusual in that it does not use the traditional scheme, usual since saint jerome, for assigning the symbols to the evangelists. Each gospel begins with an evangelists symbol a man for matthew, an eagle for mark not the lion traditionally used, a calf for luke and a lion for john not the eagle traditionally used. The book of durrow the library of trinity college dublin. The highly stylized man, who represents st matthew none of the durrow symbols have either wings or haloes, can be likened to much of the stonesculpture of the period. The durrow manuscript was lost in the sixteenth century, at the time of the dissolution of durrow abbey, but recovered some 100 years later. Each gospel begins with an evangelist s symbol a man for matthew, an eagle for mark not the lion traditionally used, a calf for luke and a lion for john not the eagle traditionally used. Crossinscribed carpet page, folio 26 verso of the lindisfarne gospels, from northumbria, england, ca. On the celtic high cross sculptures at both moone and carndonagh, for example, it is possible to find figures whose torsos are conveyed by a simple, formless block.
Man symbol of saint matthew, folio 21 verso of the book of durrow, possibly from iona, scotland, ca. The book of durrow has always been fascinating to me, probably because it was the first medieval manuscript i studied in college. Notice, in the frontispiece to the 1611 king james bible pictured here, the four seated men outlined in yellow. Lion symbol of saint john, from the book of durrow. The famous illuminated manuscript book of durrow, now at trinity college, dublin, was at the abbey by 916 at the latest, although it was probably made elsewhere. Mark see text below jeromes tradition of associating the eagle with st. Carpet page with interlaced animals, folio 125v of the book of durrow. Book of matthew matthew book of durrow century red, green, yellow colours are not as complex as those used in the book of kells very elaborate use of embroidery and fabric. Ink and tempera on parchment 9 58x 6 18 trinity college library dublin ribbon interlace. Although apparently quite different in sophistication and complexity as pieces of art, the man, symbol of st. The book of durrow, or the codex usserianus i trinity collage ms a.
In this detail you can see the use of dots in the face of the lion and in the interlace pattern. Man symbol of saint matthew, folio 21 verso of the book. One of the most spectacular displays of ornamented text in early irish manuscripts is the chirho page in the book of kells fig. The colophon curiously states that st columba wrote the codex. Discovered in the hands of a local farmer after the reformation, the book is regarded as the earliest surviving fully decorated insular gospel book. Lewis topographical dictionary 1837 tells us durrow, or castledurrow, a market and posttown, and a parish, partly in the barony of upper ossory, queens county, but chiefly in that of galmoy, county of kilkenny, and province of leinster, 12 miles s. Figure 116 man symbol of saint matthew, folio 21 verso of the book of durrow, possibly from iona, scotland, ca. Matthew, book of durrow, early midieval hibernosaxon, second half of 7th century. Other important examples of monastic irish art include the codex usserianus primus 600610, the cathach of st columba 610620, the book of dimma c. The book of durrow is an example of an illuminated latin new testament. It gets its name from a monastery founded about 523 a. Chapter 16 gardners art through the ages 12th edition. List of hibernosaxon illuminated manuscripts wikipedia evangelist symbol for matthew, from the book of durrow. The lion of john folio 191v of the book of durrow, between 650700 library at trinity college, dublin.
One of the earliest surviving irish illuminated manuscripts is the gospel of durrow ms 57, trinity college. Chapter 11 medieval europe ap art history with weber. The beginning of the gospel of mark from the book of durrow, with a lavishly designed capital n, folio 86. Tradition has maintained that columba wrote the ms. The first, the book of durrow, is a copy of the gospels according to the vulgate version. Study 29 chapter 16 gardners art through the ages 12th edition flashcards on. It is believed to have been written and designed in one of the churches or monasteries associated with saint columba, and was certainly in existence by circa ad 900. Symbol of st john 191v see text below book of durrow eagle. It was probably created between 650 and the book of durrow was certainly at durrow abbey by beginning of the gospel of mark in the book of durrow. Matthew from the codex colbertinus share a common origin in intense faith.
Saint matthew, folio 25 verso of the lindisfarne gospels, from northumbria, england, ca. Sep 15, 2016 man symbol of saint matthew, folio 21 verso of the book of durrow, possibly stay safe and healthy. In the book of durrow each individual gospel is prefaced with a symbol. Saint matthew, folio 18 verso of the ebbo gospels gospel book of archbishop ebbo of reims, from hautvillers near reims, france. Man symbol of saint matthew the book of durrow, possibly from iona, scotland, ca. The durrow organ was originally presented to trinity college, dublin, by king george iii in 1797, and lord ashbrook employed william telford to bring the instrument to durrow in 1842.