Crucifixion: Cover of the Lindau Gospels Saint Gall, Switzerland, 870 CEThis sumptuous Caroling

Crucifixion: Cover of the Lindau Gospels Saint Gall, Switzerland, 870 CEThis sumptuous Carolingian book cover revives the Early Christian imagery of the youthful Christ. The statuesque figure of the crucified Savior, heedless of pain, is classical in both conception and execution.(Read More Now does not work here) The taste for sumptuously wrought and portable objects persisted under Charlemagne and his successors. They commissioned numerous works employing costly materials, including book covers made of gold and jewels and sometimes also ivory or pearls. Gold and gems not only glorified the Word of God but also evoked the heavenly Jerusalem. One of the most luxurious Carolingian book covers is the one later added to the Lindau Gospels. The gold cover, fashioned in one of the workshops of Charles the Bald’s court, is monumental in conception. A youthful Christ in the Early Christian tradition, nailed to the cross, is the central motif. Surrounding Christ are pearls and jewels (raised on golden claw feet so that they can catch and reflect the light even more brilliantly and protect the delicate metal relief from denting). In contrast, the four angels and the personifications of the Moon and the Sun above and the crouching figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint John (and two other figures of uncertain identity) in the quadrants below display the vivacity and nervous energy of the Utrecht Psalter figures. This eclectic work highlights the stylistic diversity of early medieval art in Europe. Here, however, the translated figural style of the Mediterranean prevails, in keeping with the classical tastes and imperial aspirations of the Frankish “emperors of Rome.” (x) -- source link

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