The Second Bible of Charles the Bald: Patronage and Intellectual Community at St. Amand
Abstract
Abstract: among the manuscripts produced for Charles the Bald, King of West Francia (843-77) and Holy Roman Emperor (875-77), the so-called Second Bible (Paris, BnF, MS Lat. 2) holds a special place. Illuminated in the scriptorium of the abbey of St. Amand between 870 and 873, the Bible—unlike all the other manuscripts presented to the king during this period—contains no human figures or royal portraits. It exhibits instead large initials patterned with geometric and zoomorphic designs. In addition, the volume opens with a long poem dedicated to Charles the Bald and written by Hucbald (ca. 840–930), master of the monastery school at St. Amand. Although Carolingian scholarship has investigated the manuscript’s ornament, the relationship between Hucbald’s poetry and the book’s decorative program has never been systematically examined. By analyzing both the use of script as image and Hucbald’s poem, this article sheds light on the Bible’s intended purpose and message. Moreover, the article contributes to a more precise understanding of Charles the Bald’s role as patron of St. Amand. It argues that the Bible not only represents the increasingly close relationship between the abbey and the crown, but also functions as a special vehicle that carries the abbey’s pleas straight to the king’s heart.
Downloads
Riferimenti bibliografici
Abou-El-Haj B. (1994), The medieval cult of saints: Formations and transformations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Alberi, M. (1998), The evolution of Alcuin’s concept of the Imperium christianum, in The Community, the Family and the Saint: Patterns of Power in Early Medieval Europe, Hill J. [ed.], Turnhout: Brepols, 3–17.
Anton H. (1968), Fürstenspiegel und Herrscherethos in der Karlolingerzeit, Bonn: L. Röhrscheid.
Appleby, D. (2002), Instruction and Inspiration through Images in the Carolingian Period, in Word, Image, Number: Communication in the Middle Ages, Contreni J., Casciani S. [ed.], Florence: Edizioni del Galluzzo, 85–111.
Bedos-Rezak B., Hamburger J. (2016), Sign and design: Script as image in cross-cultural perspective (300–1600 CE), Washington: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.
Benjamin A., Hackstaff L. (1964), On free choice of the will, Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
Bettenson H., Evans G. (2003), Concerning the city of God against the pagans, New York: Penguin Books.
Bonne, J.-C. (2000), Intrications: À Propos d’une Composition d’Entrelacs dans un Évangile Celto-Saxon du VIIe Siècle, in Histoires d’Ornament: Actes du Colloque de l’Académie de France à Rome, Villa Médicis, 27–28 Juin 1996, Ceccarini P. [ed.], Rome: Académie de France à Rome, 75–108.
Bottighieri C. (2006), Vita Sancti Amandi metrica, Firenze: Edizioni del Galluzzo.
Boutemy, A. (1949), Le style franco-saxon, style de Saint-Amand, Scriptorium, 3, 260–264.
Boutemy, A. (1946), Le scriptorium et la bibliothèque de Saint-Amand d'après les manuscrits et les anciens catalogues, Scriptorium, 1, 6–16.
Braunfels, W. (1981), Karolingischer Klassizismus als politisches Programm und karolingischer Humanismus als Lebenshaltung, Settimane di Studio del Centro Italiano di Studi Sull'Alto Medioevo, 27, 821–841.
Brown, G. (1994), The Carolingian Renaissance, in Carolingian culture: Emulation and innovation, McKitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1–51.
Bullough D. (1991), Carolingian Renewal: Sources and Heritage, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Bullough, D. (1983), Alcuin and the Kingdom of Heaven: liturgy, theology and the Carolingian Age, in Carolingian Essays: Andrew W. Mellon Lectures in Early Christian Studies, Blumenthal U. [ed.], Washington: Catholic University of America Press, 1983, 1–69.
Carey, F. M. (1938), The scriptorium of Reims during the archbishopric of Hincmar, in Classical and mediaeval studies in honor of Edward Kennard Rand, Jones L. [ed.], New York City: Pub. by the editor, 41–60.
Carruthers M. (2008), The book of memory: A study of memory in medieval culture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Caviness, M. (1983), Images of Divine Order and the Third Mode of Seeing, Gesta, 22, 99–120.
Chartier, Y. (1995), CIavis Operum Hucbaldi Elnonensis: Bibliographie des oeuvres d'Hucbald de Saint-Amand, The Journal of Medieval Latin, 5, 202–224.
Chazelle C., Edwards B. (2003), The study of the Bible in the Carolingian era, Turnhout: Brepols.
Choy R. (2016), Intercessory Prayer and the Monastic Ideal in the Time of the Carolingian Reforms, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cochrane, L. (2016), Secular learning and sacred purpose in a Carolingian copy of Boethius’s “De institutione arithmetica” (Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc. Class. 5), Peregrinations, 4–5, 1–36.
Contreni, J. (1995), The Carolingian renaissance: education and literary culture, in The New Cambridge Medieval History, McKitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 709–757.
De Jong, M. (1995), Carolingian monasticism: The power of prayer, in The New Cambridge Medieval History, McKitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 622–653.
Diebold, W. (1994), The Ruler Portrait of Charles the Bald in the S. Paolo Bible, The Art Bulletin, 76, 6–18.
Diebold, W. (1992), Verbal, visual, and cultural literacy in medieval art: Word and image in the Psalter of Charles the Bald, Word & Image, 8, 89–99.
Dutton P., Kessler H. (1997), The poetry and paintings of the First Bible of Charles the Bald, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Dyson R. (2010), De Rectoribus Christianis = On Christian rulers, Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer.
Esmeijer A. (1978), Divina Quaternitas: A preliminary study in the method and application of visual exegesis, Assen: Gorcum.
Freeman, A. (1985), Carolingian Orthodoxy and the Fate of the Libri Carolini, Viator, 16, 65–108.
Ganz, D. (1995), Conclusion: Visions of Carolingian Education, Past, Present, and Future, in The Gentle Voices of Teachers: Aspects of Learning in the Carolingian Age, Sullivan R. [ed.], Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 261–83.
Ganz D. (1987), The Preconditions for Caroline Minuscule, Viator, 18, 23–44.
Garrison, M. (2000), The Franks as the New Israel? Education for an identity from Pippin to Charlemagne, in The Uses of the Past in the Early Middle Ages, Hen, Y., Innes, M. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 141–161.
Guilmain, J. (1967), On the Classicism of the “Classic” Phase of Franco-Saxon Manuscript Illumination, The Art Bulletin, 49, 231–235.
Guilmain, J. (1966), The Illuminations of the Second Bible of Charles the Bald, Speculum, 41, 246–260.
Hahn, C. (2011), Letter and Spirit: The Power of the Letter, the Enlivenment of the Word in Medieval Art, in Visible Writings. Cultures, Forms, Readings, Dalbello M, Shaw M. [ed.], New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 55–76.
Hamburger J. (2014), Script as Image, Paris: Peeters.
Hamburger, J. (2004), Body vs. Book: The Trope of Visibility in Images of Christian-Jewish Polemic, in Ästhetik des Unsichtbaren: Bildtheorie und Bildgebrauch in der Vormoderne, Ganz D., Lentes T. [ed.], Berlin: Reimer, 112–45.
Hamburger J. (2002), St. John the Divine: The deified evangelist in medieval art and theology, Berkeley: University of California Press.
Heydemann, G. (2020), The People of God and the Law: Biblical Models in Carolingian Legislation, Speculum, 95, 89–131.
Kendrick L. (1999), Animating the Letter: The Figurative Embodiment of Writing from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance, Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
Kessler, H. (2016), Dynamic Signs and Spiritual Designs, in Sign and design: Script as image in cross-cultural perspective (300-1600 CE), Bedos-Rezak B., Hamburger J. [ed.], Washington: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 111–134.
Kessler, H. (2015), Medietas / Mediator and the Geometry of Incarnation, in Image and incarnation: The early modern doctrine of the pictorial image, Melion W., Wandel L. [ed.], Leiden: Brill, 15–75.
Kessler, H. (2008), Image and Object: Christ’s Dual Nature and the Crisis of Early Medieval Art, in The Long Morning of Medieval Europe: New Directions in Early Medieval Studies, Davis J., McCormick M. [ed.], Aldershot: Ashgate, 290–319.
Kessler, H. (2007), The Word Made Flesh in Early Decorated Bibles, in Picturing the Bible: The Early Christian Art, Spier J. [ed.], Fort Worth: Kimbell Art Museum, 141–68.
Kessler, H. (2006), The Book as Icon, in In the Beginning. Bibles before the Year 1000, Brown M. [ed.], Washington: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 77–103.
Kessler, H. (2005a), Corporeal Texts, Spiritual Paintings, and the Mind’s Eye, in Reading Images and Texts: Medieval Images and Texts as Forms of Communication: Papers from the Third Utrecht Symposium on Medieval Literacy, Utrecht, 7−9 December 2000, Hageman M., Mostert M. [ed.], Turnhout: Brepols, 9–61.
Kessler, H. (2005b), Images of Christ and Communication with God, Settimane di Studio del Centro Italiano di Studi sull’Alto Medioevo, 52, 1099–1136.
Kessler, H. (1994), ‘Facies Bibliothecae Revelata:’ Carolingian Art as Spiritual Seeing, in Settimane di Studio del Centro Italiano di Studi sull’Alto Medioevo, 41, 533–584.
Kessler, H. (1990/1991), Through the Temple Veil: The Holy Image in Judaism and Christianity, Kairos. Zeitschrift für Religionwissenschaft und Theologie, 32/33, 53–77.
Kessler H. (1977), The illustrated Bibles from Tours, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kijewska, A. (2003), Mathematics as a Preparation for Theology: Boethius, Eriugena, Thierry of Chartres, in Boèce ou la chaîne des savoirs: Actes du Colloque international de la Fondation Singer-Polignac, Paris, 8–12 juin 1999, Galonnier A. [ed.], Louvain: Peeters, 625–648.
Koehler W., Mütherich F. (2009) [ed.], Die karolingischen Miniaturen, VII, Die frankosächsische Schule, Berlin: Cassirer.
Kramer, R. (2016), Teaching Emperors: Transcending the Boundaries of Carolingian Monastic Communities, in Meanings of Community across Medieval Eurasia: Comparative Approaches, Kramer R., Hovden E., Lutter C., Pohl W. [ed.], Leiden: Brill, 309–337.
Krasnodębska-D'Aughton M. (2002), Decoration of the In principio initials in early insular manuscripts: Christ as a visible image of the invisible God, Word & Image, 18, 105–122.
Leclercq J. (1961), The love of learning and the desire for God; a study of monastic culture, New York: Fordham University Press.
Masi M. (1983), Boethian number theory: A translation of the De institutione arithmetica, Amsterdam: Rodopi.
McCulloh J., Stevens W. (1979) [ed.], Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis, 44, Rabani Mauri Martyrologium; De computo, Turnholti: Brepols.
McKitterick R. (1994), Carolingian culture: Emulation and innovation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McKitterick, R. (1992), Royal Patronage of culture in the Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians: Motives and consequences, Settimane di Studio del Centro Italiano di Studi Sull'Alto Medioevo, 39, 93–129.
Mckitterick R. (1989), The Carolingians and the Written Word, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mckitterick, R. (1980), Charles the Bald (823–877) and His Library: The Patronage of Learning, The English Historical Review, 95, 28–47.
Migne J. P. (1881) [ed.], Patrologiae cursus completus, CXVII, Haymonis Halberstatensis episcopis opera omnia, Paris: Garnier.
Migne J. P. (1863) [ed.], Patrologiae cursus completus, C, Alcuini abbatis et caroli magni imperatoris magistri opera omnia, Paris: Garnier.
Morrison K. (1964), The Two Kingdoms: Ecclesiology in Carolingian Political Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Nelson, J. (2016), Revisiting the Carolingian Renaissance, in Motions of late antiquity: Essays on religion, politics, and society in honour of Peter Brown, Kreiner J., Reimitz H. [ed.], Turnhout: Brepols, 331–346.
Nelson, J. (1995), Kingship and royal government, in The New Cambridge Medieval History, McKitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 381–430.
Nelson, J. (1994), Kingship and empire in the Carolingian world, in Carolingian culture: emulation and innovation, McKitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 52–88.
Nelson J. (1991), The annals of St-Bertin, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Nelson, J. (1990), Literacy in Carolingian government, in The Uses of Literacy in Early Mediaeval Europe, Mckitterick R. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 258–296.
Nelson, J. (1988), A Tale of Two Princes: Politics, Text and Ideology in a Carolingian Annal, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, 10, 105–140.
Nelson, J. (1987), The Lord's Anointed and the people's choice: Carolingian royal ritual, in Rituals of royalty: Power and ceremonial in traditional societies, Cannadine D., Price S. [ed.], Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 99–131.
Noble T. (2009), Images, Iconoclasm, and the Carolingians, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Otten, W. (1995), Nature and scripture: Demise of a medieval analogy, Harvard Theological Review, 88, 257–284.
Perrin M. (1997) [ed.], Corpus Christianorum. Continuatio Mediaevalis, 100, Rabani Mauri In honorem sanctae crucis, Turnholti: Brepols.
Platelle H. (1962), Le temporel de l'abbaye de Saint-Amand des origines à 1340, Paris: Librairie d’Argences.
Rand E. (1929), A survey of the manuscripts of Tours, Cambridge: The Mediaeval Academy of America.
Riché P. (1993), The Carolingians: A family who forged Europe, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Sears, E. (1989), Word and Image in Carolingian Carmina Figurata, in World Art: Themes of Unity and Diversity. Acts of the XXVI International Congress of the History of Art, Lavin I [ed.], University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 341–345.
Smith, J. (1996), A Hagiographer at work: Hucbald and the library at Saint-Amand, Revue Bénédictine, 106, 151–171.
Stevenson, R. (1981), Aspects of Ambiguity in Crosses and Interlace, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 44/45, 1–27.
Tilghman, B. (2016), Ornament and Incarnation in Insular Art, Gesta, 55, 157–177.
Traube L. (1896) [ed.], Monumenta Germaniae historica inde ab anno Christi quingentesimo usque ad annum millesimum et quingentesimum, III, Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Berolini: Apud Weidmannos.
Uhlfelder, M. (1981), The Role of the Liberal Arts in Boethius’ Consolation, in Boethius and the Liberal Arts: A Collection of Essays, Masi M. [ed.], Berne: Peter Lange, 17–30.
Ullmann W. (1969), The Carolingian Renaissance and the Idea of Kingship, New York: Routledge.
Ulrich, E. (2006), Text und Intext. Textile Metaphorik und Poetik der Intextualität am Beispiel visueller Dichtungen der Spätantike und des Frühmittelalters, in “Textus” im Mittelalters. Komponeneten und Situationen des Wortgebrauchs im schriftsemantischen Feld, Kuchenbuch L., Kleine U. [ed.], Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 43–75.
Ulrich E. (1991), Carmen Figuratum. Geschichte des Figurengedichts von den antiken Ursprüngen bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters, Cologne: Böhlau.
Valle, C. (2015), Woven Words in the Lindisfarne Gospels, PhD Dissertation. Johns Hopkins University, 2015., Johns Hopkins University: Baltimore.
Wallace-Hadrill J. M. (1983), The Frankish Church, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Gli autori che pubblicano su questa rivista accettano le seguenti condizioni:
Gli autori mantengono i diritti sulla loro opera e cedono alla rivista il diritto di prima pubblicazione dell'opera, contemporaneamente licenziata sotto una Licenza Creative Commons - Attribuzione - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale che permette ad altri di condividere l'opera indicando la paternità intellettuale e la prima pubblicazione su questa rivista.
Gli autori possono aderire ad altri accordi di licenza non esclusiva per la distribuzione della versione dell'opera pubblicata (es. depositarla in un archivio istituzionale o pubblicarla in una monografia), a patto di indicare che la prima pubblicazione è avvenuta su questa rivista.
Gli autori possono diffondere la loro opera online (es. in repository istituzionali o nel loro sito web) prima e durante il processo di submission, poiché può portare a scambi produttivi e aumentare le citazioni dell'opera pubblicata (Vedi The Effect of Open Access).
