Gradual of St. Katharinenthal

The Gradual of the St. Katharinenthal Monestary

One of the most preeminent documents of medieval liturgy comes from the St. Katharinenthal monastery in Switzerland, this being the gradual that was composed by the most talented scribes and illuminators of the monastery. A gradual is a collection of Latin hymns that were recited in the 14th century by the Dominican orders and Gregorian choirs in the ceremonial liturgies of the church calendar. The work, which has a very large format of 48 x 35 centimeters, contains 628 pages of sheet music and Latin lyrics. The unusual size is meant to allow all the singers of the choir, even those standing father away, to easily read the pages. The book opens with two pages that contain calendric information. The following pages contain musical scores in the Gregorian four line system, that each incorporate staves and lines of text. The outstandingly expensive decoration of the book consists of 71 elaborately designed miniatures with gold decoration, 13 magnificent flowers painted to form letters, and a considerable amount of calligraphy.

A Masterpiece of Spirituality

The origin of the Gradual of the St. Katharinenthal and its time of creation, circa 1312, is recorded in handwriting on the inside of the front cover. At least six artists were involved in the creation of the work, nevertheless their names were not recorded here. The refinement of the textual composition and the technical perfection of the paintings imply that there were two unbelievably talented masters, who created, with the support of their no less talented monastic brothers, a top-rate performance and perhaps the greatest achievement of Gothic book art from the area of Lake Constance.

A Globally-Coveted Precious Book

After its completion, the gradual remained in the monastery until the 19th century, where it was used by the monastic choir in Messen. Around 1820, it became the property of a Swiss antiquarian by unknown means, who displayed the book in his museum and separated both of its costliest and most prized miniatures from the work. Both pages exist today, they have however been disassembled and are to be found in the collections of various institutions and private persons. In 1958, the gradual emerged in the estate of the English art collector Sir Charles Perrins, and was auctioned. The Swiss Federal Council reacquired the work in this auction, which was only possible though the financial support of the Gottfried-Keller Foundation and the Canton of Thurgau. Since December 9, 1985, this precious book is once again to be found Switzerland.

An Artistic Feat

The inestimably valuable gradual gained its exceptional fame because of the richness of its illustrations. The 71 miniatures are eminently fine and drawn in brilliant colors. Nearly every one of the illustrations was decorated with gold leaf, begetting the lofty character of the work. With the composition of the paintings, the artists have reflected on the formally quintessential and important biblical events and depicted them in serene clarity. The monumental initials and the countless calligraphic elements are the artistic trademarks of its masters. All in all, the Gradual of St. Katharinenthal is a masterly performance of European Gothic.