The Bible In Paintings, #62: PAINTED BIBLES!!! – 2nd ILLUMINATED INTERLUDE, THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS

Bing Images ^

[Hebrews 11:6]

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THE
LINDISFARNE
GOSPELS

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Last time in episode #61 we viewed the world-famous Book of Kells. Today we visit the Lindisfarne Gospels, which are slightly older but have “kept their looks.”

A monk named Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne, produced this magnificent work in northern England about 715. Like the Book of Kells it contains the Four Gospels in Latin, but 200 years later a priest added an Olde English translation literally between the textual lines, as you’ll see. That is the oldest English translation still in existence, but it has not kept its looks: it appears completely unreadable. Give it a try yourself!

Originally the book had a gold cover encrusted with jewels. During one of the many raids by the Vikings, they plundered the cover but left the manuscript, thus committing the classic case of judging a book only—well, you get the idea. One thousand years later, in 1852, its keepers finally stirred and created a replacement, which you’ll see just below.

Today the Lindisfarne Gospels, cover and all, is safely at home in the British Museum in London, England. Its Wikipedia page is quite helpful.

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The 19th Century cover which replaced the one stolen
by the Vikings a millennium earlier

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The Four Gospels

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“MATTHEUS”

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“MARCUS”

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“LUCAS”

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“IOHANNES”

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Mark with the Evangelical Symbols Surrounding

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The “Incipit,” or Opening Words, from the Gospel of Matthew

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“Chi-Rho” monogram at the start of the Gospel of Matthew
Chi and Rho (written "Ch" and “P”) are the first two letters of "Christ"
in Greek. Remember, the English “P” is Greek’s “π”—easy as pi!

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Gospel of Luke

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Contrast Eadfrith’s elegant 8th Century Latin calligraphy
with the priest’s 10th Century interlinear
and marginal Olde English cursive

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,

3rd ILLUMINATED
INTERLUDE:
HODGEPODGE

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the sites
which yielded most of the works above, here are the links:

"Lindisfarne Gospels"
"British Library"

Where no attribution appears below a work,
the artist's name is unknown.

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 paintings depicting Bible scenes

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Finally, here are links to the
PREVIOUS 61 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles, to assist you in finding those which interest you

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

Quality
The Bible is my focus, not the art. This is The Bible in Paintings, not “Great Paintings” nor even “Good Paintings.” So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don’t need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby’s. They only need to successfully illustrate some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm asking the Holy Spirit to guide. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

Pacing
The pace may seem glacial to those eager to see their favorite events. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence; if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic. The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing. Remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

I’m just having fun—and I certainly hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

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[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" to give God glory, as many of these artists have done, and for my own amusement and learning; and I thought others might enjoy it and be blessed by it, too. My plan is to proceed methodically from left-to right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is coming soon. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year’s viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: “Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast.” Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I’ve ever spent (I don’t recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 42 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

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F o r . . y o u r

CONSIDERATION

ENJOYMENT

& BLESSING

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[Hebrews 11:6]

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"THE BIBLE IN PAINTINGS"

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[Maudeen]

#61 AND #62 . . .Thanks so much for sharing .

[left that other site]

And...take it from me, a graphic designer, these are VERY hard to do, even with graph paper and gel pens, neither of which these ancient artists had.

[Hebrews 11:6]

One more “illumination,” tomorrow.

[stars & stripes forever]

Beautiful works of love to glorify the FATHER. Thank you.

[Hebrews 11:6]

They were only allowed window light, fearing the fire hazard from candles and oil lamps. They had no eyeglasses, so age often began to be a limiting factor around 45 or so, which typically is when moderns begin needing bifocals. Don’t know about the availability of magnifying glasses in 715, but Galileo’s first lensed telescope was still hundreds of years distant....

[Hebrews 11:6]

My first inward reaction to your lovely comment:

Every day I am blessed to be thoroughly awash in such "beautiful works of love to glorify the FATHER," and surely that is a wonderful--but tiny!--foretaste of what we have to look forward to, ETERNALLY.

[left that other site]

And none of them fancy felt-tip pens neither!

[Hebrews 11:6]

Some geese contributed....

[left that other site]

Well, that ought to quell any complaints!

[Hebrews 11:6]

A-

[Bookshelf]

I must do some re-thinking. I thought the complex labyrinthine designs that we see here in the Lindisfarne were actually of Muslim origin. It now appears that the Islamic works (which could not represent human form) may have been based on Christian scroll work of an earlier era. Thank you so much for producing this marvelous work.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Your rethinking seems apt, considering the dates: this was 715, and Mohammed had only been dead for 83 years. And surely Lindisfarne was far from the first: we can safely infer, I think, that by 715 this was already a highly developed artform with a substantial heritage.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

I believe the complex labyrinthine designs derive from the Celtic knots which were shown in jewelry from the first century.