. The Carolingian Gospel Books in English .
In Fall 2019, we began intensively researching, collecting, modeling, and then developing our tribute to Charlemagne, the Carolingian Gospel Books in English. During the reign of Charlemagne, these Evangelia or Evangelorium were the most commonly produced books from the Bible and used for the purpose of evangelizing the Anglo Saxon tribes and for creating a unified European culture with a shared set of values.
This early medieval period was witness to Insular (Irish), Anglo Saxon, Frankish, and Roman aesthetic and paleographic styles coming together in the same manuscript. Though this is the beginning of the Romanesque period, the Ninth Century is more accurately regarded as Carolingian. Here, we witness the development of the alphabet that we recognize today.
We looked to five primary manuscripts in order to produce our Carolingian Gospel Books in English. We developed our bold Anglo Saxon letters based on those found in The Rule of St. Benedict, Regula Sancti Benedicti, held in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England (MS. Hatton 48). We then zeroed in on our interior page layout by looking to the Vespasian Psalter held in the British Library in London, England (MS Cotton Vespasian A I). Our prologue opening letters came from the Ludwig Psalter held in the Berlin State Library (MS theol. lat. fol. 58). Our book opening frames and book opening letters come from an Evangeliarium produced in the St. Amand Abbey in northern France now held in the Leiden University Library (BPL 48). Finally, the portraits of the four evangelists come from a Gospel Book held in the J. Paul Getty Museum (Ms. Ludwig II 3). All of these elements came together for us in order to synthetically reproduce our period Carolingian Gospel Books in English.
The dimensions of this book are 22" wide by 16" tall when the book is opened. Each page is 11" wide by 16" tall and is on a thick parchment paper that wonderfully reproduces the look of new vellum. Because of the weight of the text, there is slight ghosting, which also replicates the look of old manuscripts. After we have illuminated key portions in gold leafing, the book will be bound in genuine leather with raised bands on the spine.
In addition to the texts of the four gospel accounts recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Carolingian Gospel Books in English include prologues as well as the Eusebian canons making this work a tangible connection to the early medieval period. The text we have chose for this work is our own revision of the King James version of 1611, first updated in 1769, and updated by us for the purpose of rendering clear modern English while retaining the direct punch of the King James translation.
As of December 2019, we finished the bulk of this project. As with all projects, the remaining details to finish and review take time.
We have not yet set a price for the Carolingian Gospel Books in English, but plan to have it available in 2021.
This early medieval period was witness to Insular (Irish), Anglo Saxon, Frankish, and Roman aesthetic and paleographic styles coming together in the same manuscript. Though this is the beginning of the Romanesque period, the Ninth Century is more accurately regarded as Carolingian. Here, we witness the development of the alphabet that we recognize today.
We looked to five primary manuscripts in order to produce our Carolingian Gospel Books in English. We developed our bold Anglo Saxon letters based on those found in The Rule of St. Benedict, Regula Sancti Benedicti, held in the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England (MS. Hatton 48). We then zeroed in on our interior page layout by looking to the Vespasian Psalter held in the British Library in London, England (MS Cotton Vespasian A I). Our prologue opening letters came from the Ludwig Psalter held in the Berlin State Library (MS theol. lat. fol. 58). Our book opening frames and book opening letters come from an Evangeliarium produced in the St. Amand Abbey in northern France now held in the Leiden University Library (BPL 48). Finally, the portraits of the four evangelists come from a Gospel Book held in the J. Paul Getty Museum (Ms. Ludwig II 3). All of these elements came together for us in order to synthetically reproduce our period Carolingian Gospel Books in English.
The dimensions of this book are 22" wide by 16" tall when the book is opened. Each page is 11" wide by 16" tall and is on a thick parchment paper that wonderfully reproduces the look of new vellum. Because of the weight of the text, there is slight ghosting, which also replicates the look of old manuscripts. After we have illuminated key portions in gold leafing, the book will be bound in genuine leather with raised bands on the spine.
In addition to the texts of the four gospel accounts recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Carolingian Gospel Books in English include prologues as well as the Eusebian canons making this work a tangible connection to the early medieval period. The text we have chose for this work is our own revision of the King James version of 1611, first updated in 1769, and updated by us for the purpose of rendering clear modern English while retaining the direct punch of the King James translation.
As of December 2019, we finished the bulk of this project. As with all projects, the remaining details to finish and review take time.
We have not yet set a price for the Carolingian Gospel Books in English, but plan to have it available in 2021.
