De Lisle Psalter
In 1310, the English Baron Robert de Lisle (1288–1344) probably commissioned one of the most magnificent and elaborate psalters of the English Gothic, of which only 19 parchment leaves are preserved today, held in the British Library. They once followed a text part consisting of psalms and feature a 12-page calendar based on the use of Sarum (Salisbury) as well as a 24-part cycle of 13 magnificently designed theological diagrams and 11 elaborate miniature pages on the life of Christ and depictions of the enthroned Mary. All pages gleam in vibrant colors and precious gold. The theologically complex and sophisticated picture program in intricate frameworks was created by two masters of their trade: the so-called Madonna Master was responsible for the original pictorial part, while the so-called Majesty Master added five further artful miniature pages to the manuscript around 1330–1340. They were commissioned by the pious heiress of the codex, Audrey, daughter of Robert de Lisle and nun.
De Lisle Psalter
The compendium of 38 continuous, illuminated pages, which today can be found in the British Library in London, gives a notion of the unparalleled grandeur of the Psalter. Crafted in the typical English fashion of the High Middle Ages by great masters of the time, the De Lisle Psalter (without the lost Psalter text) contains an elaborate calendar, a considerable series of theological diagrams and allegories and 11 full-page miniatures. The 24 picture pages beam in bright colors and ever valuable gold.
An Artfully Crafted Illuminated Manuscript
The De Lisle Psalter is a masterpiece of the English Gothic style. With the highly artful arrangement of the miniatures, the manuscript appears to be almost kingly in appearance. Well known elements from English and French Gothic architecture were implemented within the manuscript. This evokes the high medieval style of English altar and panel painting. The 38 surviving pages of the original Psalter are continuously animated. At the beginning lies a 12-part calendar, embroidered with fine leaflets and precious initials. After that follows the large-scale miniature pages: the so-called speculum theologiae, a collection of various theological diagrams. For example, there is the Tree of Life, a Bhavacakra with a timetable of the lifespan of Mankind, and a board with the Ten Commandments. Next to those are several miniatures with scenes from the Life of Christ, wherein biblical stories are established.
Great English Art
In these miniature pages, one can witness the full breathe of the artists’ skill. On the side of the Psalter, two artists were given credit: around 1310 the greater part of the manuscript was completed by the so-called Madonna-Master. This person created the manuscript in the typical style of the English Gothic period. Shortly after Robert de Lisle gave the work to his daughter, the so-called Majesty-Master, finalized the Psalter with 5 further miniature pages in the French style of Jean Pucelle. The miniatures will win one over at first glance due to the particularly complicated forms of the frames, which are richly varied. A multitude of different ornaments aid the background pictorial scenes. The finest and most charming ornament patterns are divided in a grid-line design. They specifically point towards an Islamic influence, which spanned from Spain to the rest of Europe. England’s connection to Spain at the time was through King Edward I’s wife, Eleonore of Castile. Alongside the ornamentation, one is impressed by the tenderness of the figures, which are wonderfully modeled. Bright colors and rich, gold chasing dictate the entire artistic layout of the manuscript.
High-Caliber Book Treasure
The Psalter was originally the property of the English Baron and Parliamentarian Robert de Lisle (1288–1344). He would decide later in life to join a monastery, which led him to pass the valuable manuscript on to his daughter Audrey, who in turn bequeathed it to her sister Aubrey, who was also a nun. Through the Chicksands Priory, the Psalter eventually came into the hands of the Howard Family, the Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel. Henry Howard, a passionate collector of art, was the last owner in the family, for he chose to pass the book on to the London Royal Society in the 16th Century. In 1831 the British Library purchased the compendium – among another 500 scripts – from the Arundels, which included the De Lisle Psalter, which was also connected with the Howard Psalter. The De Lisle Psalter is presented there with the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Bedford Hours, and other highly valuable manuscripts, serving as one of the principal highlights and visitor magnets of the entire exhibit.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Il Salterio di Robert de Lisle
Psalter des Robert de Lisle
The Psalter of Robert de Lisle - Size / Format
- 38 pages / 35.0 × 23.0 cm
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Date
- Ca. 1310 and around 1330–1340
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 33 miniatures illustrating biblical events including some full-pages, 12 full-page illustrated theological diagrams, one schematic representation without figural decoration, and a calendar
- Patron
- Robert De Lisle (1288–1344) (?)
- Artist / School
- The Madonna Master
The Majesty Master
London Court school
Influenced by Jean Pucelle (ca. 1300–1355) - Previous Owners
- Audrey de Lisle
Aubrey de Lisle
Chicksands Priory
William Howard, Lord of Naworth (1563–1640)
De Lisle Psalter
Betrayal of Judas
Presented in barbed quatrefoils with elegant backgrounds consisting of gold leaf and intricate patterns, these two scenes show the infamous betrayal by Judas Iscariot. The Last Supper is presented on the left, with Judas shown kneeling before Christ in front of the table and receiving food from him while clutching his bag with thirty pieces of silver. On the right we see the famous Judas Kiss, the pre-arranged symbol by which he would identify Jesus to the mob in the Garden of Gethsemane.
De Lisle Psalter
Crucifixion and the Tree of Life
This masterful miniature is dense with biblical symbolism and references. In Genesis, the Tree of Life is the source of eternal life in the Garden of Eden, which then reappears in the Book of Revelation. Mankind loses access to it once driven from the garden, but the sacrifice of Christ, embodied in the Crucifixion, restores the faithful to the tree.
Christ is crucified on a slender green cross, from which grow twelve gilded branches containing texts relating to Christ's humanity, passion and glorification. 18 prophets with scrolls, seated before alternating backgrounds of red, blue, and gold, line the page’s margins, save for the top where a pelican feeds her young. John’s prophecy from the Apocalypse is written in red at the bottom.
#1 De-Lisle Psalter
Language: German
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
#2 Salterio de Lisle
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#3 Il Salterio di Robert de Lisle
Languages: Italian, English
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
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