decorated manuscripts

decorated manuscripts constituted one of the most important branches of the visual arts in Ireland in the Middle Ages. As many more manuscripts have been lost than survive, the development of decoration can be traced only sketchily. In the late 6th‐century Gospel book ‘Usserianus Primus’ (Trinity College Dublin 55), decoration is confined to a framed Chi Rho, surrounded by red dots. The ‘Cathach’ Psalter (Royal Irish Academy 12.R.33), traditionally attributed to St Colum Cille (d. 597), but probably written early in the 7th century, employs spiral and trumpet devices, fish and cross symbols, as well as the calligraphic technique of ‘diminuendo’ (diminishing letter size). In the Book of Durrow, and later in the Book of Kells, such devices are integrated with motifs borrowed from metalwork, and with animal and figure drawings derived from Mediterranean prototypes. Fine decoration was practised at other centres, notably Armagh, where the earliest extant New Testament copied in Ireland, along with a dossier of texts relating to St Patrick (the Book of Armagh, Trinity College Dublin 52), was produced around 807 by Ferdomnach and other talented artist‐scribes. The late 8th‐century Book of Mulling (Trinity College Dublin 60), from St Mullins, Co. Carlow, contains striking portraits of three evangelists. The contemporary Book of Dimma (Trinity College Dublin 59), from Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, contains less naturalistic images. The early 9th‐century MacRegol Gospels (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Auct. D.12.19), from Birr, Co. Offaly, employs strong colouristic effects. Manuscripts brought from Ireland to centres such as Bobbio and St Gallen reflect the impact of Irish missionary settlement, while Irish styles exerted enormous influence in Northumbria. Insular styles persisted into the later medieval period, executed with considerable skill in volumes such as the 11th‐century Liber Hymnorum (Trinity College Dublin 1441) and the late 12th‐century Cormac Psalter (British Library Add. 36929). Styles from England, imported following the Anglo‐Norman invasion, are reflected in the Christ Church, Dublin, psalter of 1397 (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawl. C.185), and an illustrated early 15th‐century missal (London, Lambeth Palace, 213), both probably originating in England. In the late 14th century, the charter roll of the city of Waterford was decorated in a lively manner, perhaps locally, while in the early 15th century a decorated copy of Ranulf Higden's chronicle (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawl. B.179) was probably made in Dublin. From the 16th century, the book of the Mayo de Burgo (see burke (de burgh)) family contains portraits and illustrations drawn with remarkable vigour (Trinity College Dublin 1440).

Bibliography

Alexander, J. J. G. , Insular Manuscripts, 6th to the 9th Century (1978)
Henry, F., and and Marsh‐Micheli, G. , ‘Manuscripts and Illuminations, 1169–1603’, in A. Cosgrove (ed.), A New History of Ireland, vol. ii (1987)
Meehan, B. , The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College Dublin (1994)

Bernard Meehan