Winchester Psalter
The Winchester Psalter is counted among the highpoints of Romanesque illumination and impresses its reader with 38 fascinating miniatures, which effectively illustrate the various battles between good and evil. Likely commissioned by the monk Henry de Blois (ca. 1100–1171), the manuscript originated sometime between the mid–12th century and the second half of the 13th century in Winchester, England. The miniatures are placed before the text of the Psalms, thus supporting the moral message of the text as a visual introduction. The climax is a particularly dramatic depiction of Hell with the broken bodies of the damned, who are tormented by macabre demons.
The Winchester Psalter
The monk Henry de Blois (ca. 1100–1171) commissioned a true masterpiece of Romanesque illumination with the Winchester Psalter. The 284-page parchment manuscript originated sometime between the mid–12th century and the second half of the 13th century in Winchester, England and contains the biblical Psalms. These were of great significance for daily religious use, because the practice of devotion outside of church services through daily recitation of the Psalms was also common. The text is prefaced with 38 full-page miniatures, which impressively support the moral message of the text and serve as a visual introduction.
The Battle between Good and Evil
The 38 first class miniatures depict the various scenes from the Old and New Testaments, from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary to the Resurrection and Judgement Day, in a particularly dramatic fashion. The artist creatively shows the beholder the various models of good and evil and the resulting punishments. For example, the depiction of Hell is particularly horrific: the small broken bodies of the damned are tortured by big, cruel, grinning demons with tools. The Juda kiss scene is equally expressive. The painter characterizes the soldiers as horrible monsters with great mouths, sharp teeth, and long, beak-like noses. This sight makes one immediately think of the sinister figure of the devil.
Connections to the Famous Cluny Abbey in France
Actually, the patron of this breathtaking Psalter is unknown, but both the calendar, the litany, and the prayer at St. Swithun, whose remains are mentioned in the manuscript, suggest that the book is connected to Winchester. In addition, the calendar contains many festivals that lead to the influential abbey of Cluny in France. The most likely patron is Henry de Blois, the grandson of William the Conqueror. He was initially a monk in Cluny and Bishop of Winchester between 1129 and 1171. Considering his great passion for the arts, he could have ordered the fantastic manuscript for his use.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Psalter of Henry of Blois
St Swithun’s Psalter - Size / Format
- 284 pages / 32.3 × 23.5 cm
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Date
- 1127–1171
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Script
- Protogothic
- Illustrations
- 38 full-page miniatures; calendar miniatures (labors of the month) and medaillons; 1 historiated initial
- Content
- Calendar; Psalter (Gallican); Canticles, Gloria in Excelsis; Pater Noster; Apostle's Creed; Quicunque Uult; Litany; 10 Collects; 36 Prayers; incomplete colophon
- Patron
- Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury
- Previous Owners
- Henry of Blois
Sir Robert Cotton
Winchester Psalter
Death of the Virgin Mary
Following the archetypal image from Byzantine art, the Twelve Apostles have miraculously assembled from their distant missionary activity to gather around the deathbed of the Virgin Mary. While she appears peaceful with no trace of suffering, their faces are mournful; one swings a golden censer as he stands to the left with his head hung in sorrow. The spirit of Christ stands in the background holding a baby representing the soul of his mother, reuniting them with their roles reversed. He holds her up as though he were about to pass her to the hand of God, which reaches down and makes the sign of benediction flanked by angels holding swaddling clothes.

Winchester Psalter
David and Goliath
Four events happening in different times and places have been creatively condensed into two registers. In the upper register, David is shown on the left in Jerusalem, represented by an architectural frame, declining the armor offered to him by King Saul in favor of his humble staff and sling. The moment of impact when the stone strikes Goliath in the middle of his forehead is depicted on the right and his eyes are shown rolling back in his head.
Below, the host of the Israelites pursues the routing Philistines in the background while David decapitates the head of Goliath, which he then brings back to Jerusalem as a trophy to be presented to Saul. While seated and facing directly outward in the upper register, here he stands turned three-quarters of the way toward David. A horned snake’s head emerges from Saul’s robes, indicating his resentment and fear that David will supplant him.

#1 The Winchester Psalter
Language: English
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Serbia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Aboca Museum
- Akademie Verlag
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Alkuin Verlag
- Almqvist & Wiksell
- ARS
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Azimuth Editions
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- Boydell & Brewer
- Brepols Publishers
- British Library
- C. Weckesser
- Caixa Catalunya
- Canesi
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Caratzas Brothers, Publishers
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collegium Graphicum
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- CTHS
- D. S. Brewer
- De Agostini/UTET
- De Schutter
- Deuschle & Stemmle
- Deutscher Verlag für Kunstwissenschaft
- DIAMM
- Droz
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Éditions de l'Oiseau Lyre
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Casariego
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Editrice Antenore
- Edizioni Edison
- Egeria, S.L.
- Eikon Editores
- Electa
- Eos-Verlag
- ET&B
- Eugrammia Press
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- G. Braziller
- Gebr. Mann Verlag
- Giovanni Domenico de Rossi
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Guido Pressler
- Guillermo Blazquez
- Helikon
- Henning Oppermann
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hoepli
- Houghton Library
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- ILte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Instituto de Estudios Altoaragoneses
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- J. Thorbecke
- Jugoslavija
- Karl W. Hiersemann
- Kasper Straube
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- Kurt Wolff Verlag
- La Liberia dello Stato
- La Linea Editrice
- La Meta Editore
- Lambert Schneider
- Leo S. Olschki
- Les Incunables
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lichtdruck
- Lumen Artis
- Lund Humphries
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Maison des Sciences de l'homme et de la société de Poitiers
- Manuscriptum
- Maruzen-Yushodo Co. Ltd.
- MASA
- McGraw-Hill
- Militos
- Millennium Liber
- Müller & Schindler
- National Library of Wales
- Nova Charta
- Odeon
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Oxford University Press
- Parzellers Buchverlag
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Plon-Nourrit et cie
- Prestel Verlag
- Princeton University Press
- Prisma Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Propyläen Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Riehn & Reusch
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Rosenkilde and Bagger
- Roxburghe Club
- Salerno Editrice
- Sarajevo Svjetlost
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scolar Press
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- SISMEL - Edizioni del Galluzzo
- Sociedad Mexicana de Antropología
- Stainer and Bell
- Styria Verlag
- Sumptibus Pragopress
- Szegedi Tudomànyegyetem
- Tarshish Books
- Taschen
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- The Marquess of Normanby
- The Richard III and Yorkist History Trust
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Typis Regiae Officinae Polygraphicae
- University of California Press
- University of Chicago Press
- Urs Graf
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- VCH, Acta Humaniora
- VDI Verlag
- Verlag Styria
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Xuntanza Editorial
- Zollikofer AG