Ramsey Psalter

Ramsey Psalter

The Benedictine Abbey of Ramsey founded in 969 by Ailwyn was one of the great centers of scholarship in the English-speaking world for many centuries. In this abbey, an elaborate codex known as the Ramsey Psalter was produced for the monastic community’s own use at the end of the 13th century. In the course of its turbulent history, the Ramsey Psalter experienced the same destiny as many other medieval manuscripts: five folios – nearly a complete illustrated cycle preceding the Psalms – were separated from the binding at some stage and finally found their way to the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The larger portion remained in the library of the Benedictine Abbey of Sankt Paul im Lavanttal (Carinthia, Austria).

The Pinnacle of Book Illumination

12 deluxe figural initials complete with perfectly inserted individual scenes; stylized floral marginal illustrations populated with tiny creatures; countless line endings, enlivened predominantly with grotesques, are all elements bearing testimony to the sheer inexhaustible imagination of the master who unfortunately remains anonymous. More than any other section, the illustrated cycle preceding the psalms deserves special mention. Its 12 miniature pages are filled with 40 episodes taken from the Old and the New Testaments to form a homogenous illustrated ensemble. From an artistic view, both these miniatures and the decorative apparatus of the Ramsey Psalter as a whole are of outstanding quality. The zestful movements of the figures, the articulation of their gestures and facial expressions, as well as the strong interaction between the individual protagonists lends the narrative a liveliness that is unparalleled in book production.

A Golden Manuscript

In addition, the book is lavishly decorated with exuberant gold: the gold leaf grounds are frequently enlivened with linear chasing and scattered patterns and are not limited to the miniatures alone, as is the case in other manuscripts, but are also found in the initials, in marginal decorations, and even in the shortest line fillings. This exquisite decoration makes the Ramsey Psalterone of the finest surviving examples of Gothic book illumination.