These patrons would often be portrayed in “dedication pictures” within the manuscript, or they would have the intended recipient depicted as though they were being presented the manuscript. Insular art is most clearly characterized by its intricate interlace these patterns, sometimes called Celtic knots, often formed frames for images such as portraits of the Evangelists and were used to create incredibly artful and complex initials both great and small.Ĭarolingian art would combine these styles in an aesthetic balancing the chaotic energy of the Insular style with Byzantine solemnity, an aesthetic for an emperor who was looking to the past while also establishing a new dynasty.Īside from Charlemagne, other high-ranking members of the Frankish nobility, including both his legitimate and illegitimate descendants, also patronized splendidly illuminated manuscripts. Insular or Hiberno-Saxon illumination has its origins in pagan Celtic and Germanic religious traditions, but also has influences in Roman and Coptic art, particularly with regard to its depictions of carpets and mosaics.
As a result, it often has monumental figures set against monochromatic or architectural backgrounds. The Carolingian Renaissance and its artistic style were the catalyst for the high-medieval resurgence of European art and learning that eventually led to the Italian Renaissance.Īlthough strongly rooted in classical art, Byzantine illumination abandoned realism in favor of an abstract or anti-naturalistic character of great symbolic power and was representative of the connection between religion and imperial power in the Byzantine Empire. It was initiated by the Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), whose intent was to establish a successor state to the Western Roman Empire, this not only meant conquering and administering territory but restoring occidental learning.Īlthough Western Europe in the misnamed Dark Ages was not as devoid of art and culture as one might think – Insular illumination from the 6th to the 8th centuries is some of the finest medieval art to survive to the present – manuscript production increased exponentially under the Carolingians, as did the sophistication of artistry and the refinement of materials.Īlthough the instability of the 10th century, caused by raids and invasions by Vikings, Arabs, and Magyars ended this first Renaissance, Carolingian art continued to be produced in the 10th century and gradually evolved into other artistic styles.
900), during which time numerous monasteries with scriptoria and schools at various royal courts were established, laid the foundations of what most people would think of as the Renaissance, which began in 14th century Italy before spreading north. The so-called Carolingian Renaissance (ca. The Ottonian, Romanesque, and Gothic artistic traditions all have their roots in Carolingian art and can therefore be considered to be its descendants. It is a blend of the dynamism of Insular art with the monumental and iconic aesthetic of Late Antique and Byzantine art, the result was an expression of both continuity with Rome as well as signaling the beginning of a new era. Paul Outside the Walls that possess such luxury and sophistication that they are the peer of any other. 780 in the Court and Palace Schools of Charlemagne and would last well into the 10th century, producing manuscripts like the Bible of St. These great minds also created a uniform script for the empire, known as Carolingian miniscule, which is the foundation of our modern fonts.Ĭarolingian illumination first emerged ca. 735-804) foremost among them – not only united the greatest contemporary minds, but also created a synthesis of artistic styles. His importation of Irish, Anglo-Saxon, and Byzantine scholars – Alcuin of York (ca. It is named after Charlemagne, called Karolus by contemporary chroniclers, who not only brought order and stability to Latin Europe, but established monasteries throughout his empire and scriptoria at his court, as well as a culture of art patronage among the Frankish nobility and princes of the church. 900) was the first of three that ultimately culminated in the Italian Renaissance. Initiated by the Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), who created a successor state to the Western Roman Empire, the Carolingian Renaissance (ca. The Most Beautiful Books of Hours and Prayer Books The Most Beautiful Facsimiles Under 1,000€
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