Utrecht Psalter

Utrecht Psalter – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Hs. 32 – Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit (Utrecht, Netherlands)

Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers near Rheims (France) β€” Between 820 and 840

One of the most influential works in art history and on the UNESCO World Heritage list today: delicate pen drawings from the anonymous "Da Vinci of the 9th century"

  1. This 9th century masterpiece is one of the most influential works in all of art history

  2. The text of the Psalms is continuously illustrated with magnificent pen drawings

  3. Art historians rank the anonymous master on par with da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh

Utrecht Psalter

Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
  1. Description
  2. Detail Picture
  3. Single Page
  4. Facsimile Editions (2)
Description
Utrecht Psalter

Art historians compare the anonymous master of this extraordinary Psalter with Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Van Gogh: the Utrecht Psalter was created between 820 and 840 in a Benedictine abbey near Reims, making it a masterpiece of Carolingian book illumination and the earliest surviving example of an illustrated Psalter in Western book history. But at least as impressive are the 166 dramatic and stirring pen drawings themselves, which continuously illustrate the 150 psalms. The depicted figures are both highly expressive and no less sensitive. With their liveliness, they gave European art as a whole a long-lasting impetus before the turn of the millennium. The Utrecht Psalter can therefore be regarded as one of the most influential works in the entire history of art.

The Utrecht Psalter

The psalter as a basic work of monastic choral song steadily gained in importance from the 6th century onward. The Utrecht Psalter is one of the finest manuscripts of this period and probably the most unusual psalter of the Middle Ages. It was written out and painted between 820 and 840 in the Benedictine abbey of Hautvillers near Rheims, on the initiative of Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims and a foster brother of Emperor Louis the Pious. This sumptuous illuminated work of the Carolingian period is the earliest surviving example of an illustrated Psalter in Western book production.

166 Lively and Exciting Miniatures

All 150 Psalms are illustrated with magnificent pen drawings covering the whole width of a page and densely populated with tiny figures hurriedly sketched with a few strokes. These vigorously painted figures are frequently imbedded in faintly sketched landscapes and display a vibrant liveliness. In accordance with the beauty of the text, they are executed in unprecedented perfection. The creative power of the artist has led many renowned art historians to place the master of these pages on equal footing with the great artists of the western world, like Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt or Vincent van Gogh. In addition to the extraordinary expressive power of the drawings, one must be impressed with the artist’s continuous effort to follow the text as closely as possible and marvel at the sheer wealth of symbolism in his illustrations.

A Century-Old Model

The Utrecht Psalter has influenced the evolution of European art throughout the ages, not only in the field of illumination but also in other areas of Carolingian art. It was, above all, the expressive nature and at the same time refined character of the drawings which enriched European art before the first millennium with fresh and spirited elements. Around the year 1000, the manuscript was brought to England. After the dissolution of English monasteries, the codex passed into private hands. In the 16th century, the Psalter entered the possession of Sir Robert Cotton who had the book bound in the present day full binding of red leather.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Utrecht-Psalter
Size / Format
222 pages / 33.0 Γ— 25.6 cm
Origin
France
Date
Between 820 and 840
Language
Illustrations
166 fantastic miniatures from the Carolinian royal court school
Patron
Ebbo, archbishop of Rheims
Previous Owners
Sir Robert Cotton

Available facsimile editions:
Utrecht Psalter – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Hs. 32 – Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1982
Limited Edition: 980 copies

Utrecht Psalter – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Hs. 32 – Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1982
Limited Edition: 980 copies
Detail Picture

Utrecht Psalter

Start of Psalm 81

The 81st Psalm is often referred to as β€œAn Appeal for Israel’s Repentance” but is also centered on the theme of celebration. As such, the Israelites are shown blowing horns on the hillside and worshipping in the temple as angels hover overhead. β€œSing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute. Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.” (Ps. 81:1-3)

Utrecht Psalter – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Hs. 32 – Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Single Page

Utrecht Psalter

Psalm 2

This masterful grisaille miniature directly illustrates the text in which it is embedded. The only color is in the Insular-style initials with gold leaf, red, and green, as well as the small red initials in the text. This is a prophetic verse, portraying Christ standing on Mt. Zion and identified by a hand to the right giving the sign of benediction: β€œThe Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day I have begotten thee” (Ps. 2:7).

The hosts assembled around Mt. Zion are Gentiles who have raged and devised vain things, inducing God’s rage, depicted above them with his arm extended outward. Christ appears to break a pot, referencing Ps. 2:9: β€œThou shat rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel”.

Utrecht Psalter – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Hs. 32 – Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Facsimile Editions

#1 Der Utrecht-Psalter (Luxury Edition)

Publisher: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1982
Limited Edition: 980 copies
Binding: All leather binding is a faithful replica of the original binding which was made for Sir Robert Cotton in 1600.
Commentary: 1 volume (116 pages) by K. van der Horst and J. Rathofer
Language: German

The commentary volume includes 116 pages and introduces the reader to the world of the Carolingian Renaissance while also providing a comprehensive explanation of the manuscript’s lavish decoration.

K. van der Horst, Utrecht, revised by J. Rathofer, Cologne. 116 pp., 33 black-and-white illustrations.
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding. All folios are cut according to the original.
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)

#2 Der Utrecht-Psalter (Faux-Leather Edition)

Publisher: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Graz, 1982
Limited Edition: 980 copies
Binding: Instead of the real leather (luxury edition) reproduction of the binding with faux-leather.
Commentary: 1 volume (116 pages) by K. van der Horst and J. Rathofer
Language: German
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
You might also be interested in:
Luttrell Psalter – The Folio Society – Add MS 42130 – British Library (London, United Kingdom)
Luttrell Psalter
Lincoln (United Kindgom) – Ca. 1325–1335

Each of the 600 pages decorated with a large scenic representation was created within a span of no less than 10 years: a unique picture book with scenes of medieval life from peasants at work to romantic lovers

Experience More
Psalterium Sancti Ruperti – Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA) – Cod. A I. 0 – Archiv von St. Peter (Salzburg, Austria)
Psalterium Sancti Ruperti
North-East France – 3rd quarter of the 9th century

No larger than a matchbox, yet perfectly legible and illuminated: an incredibly tiny Psalter with a remarkable late-Carolingian binding

Experience More
Blog articles worth reading
Filter selection
Publisher