The Utrecht Psalter

   The Utrecht Psalter is a widely praised manuscript but not a very well known one. It is valued for its illuminations, which are completely different, stylistically, then any manuscript that had come before it. The Psalter was made in 820-830 in Reims or the abbey of Hautivilliers, possibly commissioned by the archbishop Ebbo. It might have been a gift for Charlemagne’s son Louis the Pious, his wife, or his newborn son (who would grow up to be Charles the Bald).  The psalter itself is a songbook from the Old Testament and was used in prayer; psalters at this time were popular among the wealthy.   The manuscript contains Roman iconography and the use of the late Roman capitalis rustica as script, and to specialists, it appears to show that the illustrations are (partly) based on one or more models from the 5th century. The illustrations have Carolingian elements, interests and interpretations alongside of this. Some even suspect political messages in certain illustrations. The manuscript ended up in Canterbury around the year 1000, where it inspired the production of the Harley Psalter (11th century), the Eadwine Psalter (12th century) and the Paris (Anglo-Catalan) psalter (12th century).
   After the Reformation a famous collector Robert Cotton (d. 1631) ended up with the manuscript. He had it rebound, and added twelve leaves of a Gospel from Northumbria made in the early 8th century. It was then stolen from Cotton and ended up in the Netherlands. After this it ended up with Willem de Ridder, a Utrecht citizen, who gave it to the University Library in the Janskerk in 1716. This is the reason that the manuscript ended up being called the Utrecht Psalter. The Psalter is famous today for being one of the first manuscripts to be reproduced fully in photographic facsimile. It was done in 1873 at request of the British government and led to the founding of the London Paleography Society. Since, it has been published four times as a facsimile, the only manuscript to do this.
   Within the manuscript there are 166 pen drawings that accompany the text of each of the 150 psalms and sixteen added biblical hymn texts called canticles. The drawings are not in the style popular at the period the manuscript was created. In fact the drawings are most similar to modern art. It wasn’t one artist who created the illustrations but probably around eight.  The drawings have been compared to the work of the artist Jeroen Bosch, but researchers who have studied the manuscript do not know who, if anyone, inspired the artists. Illustrations in the manuscript show buildings, landscapes and heavens, full of kings, soldiers, angels, saints, sinners, craftsmen, musicians, children or a selection from the animal kingdom. Christ, the psalmist or David often plays central parts. But also Atlas, the mouth of Hell or demons with tridents appears in some scenes.
   Below I have included three illuminations from the manuscript that are interesting and exemplify the artistic style used in the manuscript.

Folio 1v

    The illumination on Folio 1v is across from Folio 2r, which holds the related text. The illustration is meant to visualize the first psalm in the manuscript. The image shows a seated figure reading a book, contemplating Gods law, in the top left. The moon, sun and stars above him are meant to represent that he works day and night. In the top right, opposite the devout man, are sinners holding weapons, there is also a snake, which is usually the animal associated with evil and the devil. In between the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are the beatus vir (blessed man) standing on running water. Lower in the image there is a tree with more lawless men who are being buffeted by a wind that is personified by a human face. This is showing they cannot stand where God’s law exists. The road coming to a dead end past the lawless men is showing their path leads to hells which is a literally a hole in the ground with flying demons helping them to their doom.
 

Folio 15b

    Folio 15b illustrates Psalm 27. It shows winged figures with spears that seem to be stabbing at “workers of iniquity”. To the left is a king stands in front of a temple and above this are Christ and his angels. At the bottom of the image there is a great hole in the ground leading to hell and the figures appear to be pushed in by winged figures.
 

Folio 58r

Detail 1

Detail 2

     One of the more interesting illuminations is Psalm 101 (now 102) Folio 58r. Christ is at the top center and he is surrounded on both sides by begging angels. The psalmist, those who meditate on the text of the psalm, is in the middle. Below this are kings and nobleman paying their respects along with orphans and the poor seeking help. On the left there are angels with hammers and chisels who are God’s servants working with the stones of Zion. Part of the background stands out because it is a classical in nature. It shows a naked reclining woman surrounded by small children. The woman is meant to represent the earth (terra) and the horn (of plenty) she holds in her arms is meant to symbolize fertility. They are the next generation that is mentioned in verse 19. But more interesting then that is in the bottom left towards the center. Right next to a king, to the right of the king specifically, there is a floating face. It doesn’t belong to the scene and is looking in the wrong direction; it is also drawn in the wrong style. It is flaw that either occurred while the manuscript was being made or it happened later.