The Lindisfarne Gospels

by Janet Backhouse

Book Overview

The Lindisfarne Gospels, a manuscript produced in the Northumbrian island monastery of Lindisfarne at the end of the seventh century, in honour of Saint Cuthbert, is a relic of early Christianity in England, and one of the nation's greatest treasures. This book makes the glories of the Lindisfarne Gospels accessible to a wide public.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0714824615
• ISBN13: 9780714824611
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Phaidon Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Easy to read study of an illuminated manuscript

The scope of this book is best described by the chapter titles: 1) Lindisfarne and Saint Cuthbert 2) The men who made the manuscript 3) The text of the Gospels 4) The script 5) How the manuscript was made 6) The great decorated pages 7) The smaller initials 8) Some comparisons (with contemporary works) 9) The later history of the manuscriptThe text is lively, including, for example, an old riddle describing the wax table used for sketches. The Anglo-Saxom instruments used in illuminations are shown in a photograph; you aren't expected to have detailed knowledge of medieval tools. The color plates of the Gospels are magnificant. The art shown for comparison includes not only other manuscripts but metalwork etc.This book is not only an introduction to the Lindisfarne Gospels but is a good starting point for illuminated manuscripts in general.