Sacramentary of Beauvais

Sacramentary of Beauvais

The Sacramentary of Beauvais in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (Ms. Ludwig V 1) is one of a pair of lavish liturgical manuscripts almost certainly produced in northern France by an Italian scribe, who also may have illuminated the volumes. Only ten leaves of the original book have survived into modern times, those leaves are clearly preserved because of their beauty and the generous use of gold and – more remarkably – silver. Included among the surviving leaves are three pages of text written in gold on painted purple grounds, a stunning full-page Crucifixion scene, and a nearly full-page initial in gold and silver, as well as smaller painted initials.

Gold and Purple for the Mass

In its complete state, the manuscript was known to the canons of Beauvais Cathedral in the 17th century as the “Missal of Roger of Champagne”. However, it was not a missal, but rather its historical predecessor in liturgical terms: a sacramentary. In the Early Middle Ages, sacramentaries were among the most important liturgical books. They contained the prayers recited by the celebrating priest during Mass. Additional books, such as lectionaries and graduals, provided the other parts of the Mass—namely, the readings and chants.

A Sacramentary for the Prince-Bishop of Beauvais

However, the canons of Beauvais were likely correct in their association with Roger of Champagne—also known as Roger de Blois (d. 1024). Roger was the Prince-Bishop of Beauvais and, as a high-ranking ecclesiastical dignitary, was present at the consecration and coronation of Hugh of France as co-ruler of France. This took place on June 9, 1017, in the church of Saint-Corneille Abbey in Compiègne, very close to Beauvais. King Robert II the Pious, Hugo’s father, may have had the manuscript specially commissioned for this occasion as a gift for Roger de Blois. This is supported by both the lavish decoration and the prayers to saints who were particularly venerated in Beauvais such as Saints Quentin and Cassian. The precious codex was likely an exceptionally well-chosen gift, as Roger was known for commissioning magnificent liturgical objects of various kinds for his cathedral.

The Work of a Master

The gifted illuminator of the *Sacramentary of Beauvais, working in paints of precious metals as well as equally precious non-metallic pigments, , was skilled both in the intricacies of sophisticated interlace and in the convincing depiction of the human figure. The interlace on the Crucifixion page and the interlace of the letter "D" for Easter are each composed of three separate strands of strap work. On the Crucifixion page, a single, continuous strand defines the cross, and two others comprise the frame, all interlocking into a cohesive whole. Exuberant though the interlace may be, it does not detract from the focus on Christ’s role in salvation history and the artist has masterfully conveyed both the human figure, especially in the musculature of Christ’s torso, and the pathos of the event.

An Italian Scribe in France

The work of the scribe of the Sacramentary of Beauvais can be found in a French Gospel lectionary, written according to its dedicatory inscription, by a scribe “from Italy, which surpasses all realms of intellectual brilliance” (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS lat. 1126). Aspects of his writing also show a familiarity with Milanese conventions. Meanwhile, both the wonderful illumination and the masterly text have been attributed to the illuminator Nivardus of Milan. He was active around 1000 and initially illuminated manuscripts for the Bishop of Milan before he was summoned to the Abbey of Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, where he most likely created this magnificent sacramentary.