Landgrave Psalter
Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia and Hesse (d. 1217) was a man of power, notorious for his ruthlessness in politics, but at the same time, out of love for art, he generously supported the scientists and artists at his court. His order is a masterpiece of the early Gothic style, decorated with gold leaf and pen-drawn, endlessly intertwined tendrils; almost every initial letter is deemed worthy of a golden majuscule, and some initials of the Psalms even reach the size of half a page. The 8 full-page miniatures touch the reader through the faces turned towards them, such as those of the persons whom Christ frees from the Hellmouth. They bear eloquent witness to the high esteem in which Byzantine design principles were held in the early Gothic period, and not only because of their polished gold backgrounds. The text of the Psalms is accompanied by an illuminated calendar, chants, a litany of the saints, and a requiem.
Landgrave Psalter
Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Landesbibliothek in Stuttgart has preserved one of the finest works of early Gothic illumination: the Landgrave Psalter. The name of this manuscript is closely associated with its commissioner, Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia and Hesse, who is mentioned more than once in the book, above all in the litany and in the intercessory prayers. His portrait and that of his second spouse, Sophie of the Wittelsbach dynasty, both occupy a prominent place within the princely gallery contained in the Litany. Hermann of Thuringia (r. 1190–1217) was considered to be a ruthless politician but also a generous patron of the arts and sciences, a man of great culture who maintained a court in Eisenach that was very supportive of the arts for that time. The significance of this sovereign is underlined by this psalter, which may be referred to as a true chef-d’œuvre both from an artistic and a technical point of view.
Miniatures and Initials of Outstanding Quality
Both the layout and the structure of the text comply with the usual program of psalter manuscripts. The central piece – a Psalterium Gallicanum – is accompanied by a Calendar, Canticles, a Litany of all Saints, and an Office of the Dead. Virtually all initials are executed as golden majuscules and further enriched with blue foliage-like pen drawings. Certain Psalms are additionally highlighted by artfully interlaced initials which may even reach the length of half a page. In addition to this extremely varied initial decoration – all initials differ from each other and each form seems to have been invented from anew – the opulence and preciousness of the Landgrave Psalter lie above all in its eight full-page miniatures.
A Unique Calendar
The lavishly decorated calendar is as impressive as the miniatures themselves. The monthly pages enrich the actual calendar with nearly full-length depictions of the Apostles of the months. Above them, genre scenes of pastoral life help to identify the month in question. The meticulously drawn figures, their bodies finely modelled in different shades, the decorative play of color, and the exuberant use of gold, are all aspects which make the decorative apparatus of the Landgrave Psalter appear so luxurious.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Landgrafenpsalter
- Size / Format
- 384 pages / 23.3 × 17.0 cm
- Origin
- Germany
- Date
- 1211–1213
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 20 miniature pages: 8 full-page miniatures, 12 richly ornamented calendar pages, and numerous splendid initial letters on gold grounds
- Patron
- Landgrave Herman I of Thuringia and Hesse (ca. 1155–1217)
Landgrave Psalter
Historiated Beatus Vir Initial
Beatus vir or “Blessed is the man” – thus begins the Book of Psalms in the Vulgate Bible. The page is awash with rich primary colors and a burnished gold background – King David can be seen to the right with his lyre as he composes the Psalms. The upper-half of this “B” initial is populated with various figures: we can see two hunters, one using a bow and the other a spear. In the upper left corner, a man armed with sword and shield fights a half-man/half-dragon drollery.

Landgrave Psalter
Harrowing of Hell
According to Christian theology, Christ descended triumphantly into Hell between the Crucifixion and Resurrection. There he proclaimed good tidings to the dead and brought salvation to all the righteous who had died since the beginning of the world. Staff in hand, Christ reaches out to the denizens of Hell, depicted in typical fashion as the mouth of a great monster – the Hellmouth.
Christ is dressed in highly stylized robes of red and blue with an angular fall of folds in the Zackenstil or “jagged style” typical of German manuscript art in the early Gothic period. Although the burnished gold background gives the scene a timeless and spaceless feel, Christ’s robe extends beyond the frame as though he has just stepped into the scene.

#1 Der Landgrafenpsalter
Language: German
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