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Chartres manuscripts from the 12th century - 4/5

While the royal portal was being built and the three large windows of the western façade were being created, the cathedral – or the abbey of St Père en Vallée, in the lower town – also produced several manuscripts whose decoration is on a par with sculpture and glass art: an artistic summit.

Two manuscripts have already been discussed (see 1/5 and 2/5). Manuscript 2391 from the Troyes library, known as the “Bible des comtes de Champagne”, bears a strong resemblance to Bible 458, preserved in the same institution and of which it is perhaps the continuation, even if the different volumes subsequently followed a different itinerary. Manuscript 2391 includes the Old Testament books from Chronicles to Maccabees, as well as the entire New Testament. The patron is thought to be Thibaut II of Champagne, who was also Count of Meaux, Blois, Châteaudun… and Chartres.

The Chartres origin has been confirmed by Patricia Stirnemann, a researcher at the Institut de Recherche et d’Histoire des Textes, who has made the connection with several previously catalogued works. It can be dated to between 1140 and 1160.

The ornate letters use several motifs, the most common of which are the scroll and the dragon.

Selection of the most beautiful letters :

Initial L of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: “Liber generationis Jhesu (abr.) Christi (abr.), filii David, Filii Abraham”. The story of the first Gospel indeed begins with Christ’s family tree, superbly illustrated in the cathedral by the Tree of Jesse © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial I of the Gospel according to Saint Mark. “Initium“. In these two initials, we find the main motifs used by the illuminator: scrollwork (Matthew) and arabesque (Mark) © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial Q from the Gospel of Saint Luke: “Quoniam“. Unlike the previous two examples, here the evangelist is depicted writing, accompanied by Theophilus. Notice the gestures of the hands © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial I from the Gospel according to Saint John: “In Principio erat Verbum. The prologue of Saint John, which is undoubtedly one of the foundational texts of the Christian Faith (and which used to be read at the beginning of each Eucharistic celebration), is here illustrated by the illuminator. At the top, we see God the Father with the letters Alpha and Omega; in the middle, Christ with the cruciform halo – and a very youthful appearance; at the bottom, the dove of the Holy Spirit © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial P of the Acts of the Apostles. Perhaps one of the most visually delightful creations: the play of colors, against a gold background, works perfectly. Above, in red and blue, one reads: “INCIIPIT LIBER ACTUU(M) AP(OSTO)LORU(M). This ‘incipit’, which means ‘begins’ in Latin, is the title of each book © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial of the letter of Saint Jude. The apostle is depicted holding the letter he wrote © Photographs by H. Gaud
Saint Jude is one of the apostles depicted in the central arch of the south portal. He is positioned on the far left, in the passage leading to the side arch. Here, he holds a sword, symbolizing his martyrdom: he died by beheading © NDC
Initial letter of Saint Peter’s epistle. Depicted in a bust, he holds the keys to the kingdom as well as the Gospel. The letter’s decoration is more subdued than usual: the illuminator does not wish to distract from the figure represented within the loop of the “P”: Petrus Apostolus © Photographs by H. Gaud
Saint Peter, in the central bay of the south portal, faces Saint Paul: he is immediately to the right of Christ © NDC. Here, we undoubtedly find two extremes: on one side, the representation of Saint Peter is about 1.2 centimeters tall. On the other, the sculpture is nearly 3 meters high.
Initial of the letter of Saint James the Lesser. The blue robe is of a color that has retained all its freshness © Photographs by H. Gaud
Saint James the Lesser is also present in the central bay of the south portal. According to tradition, he was struck down by the fullers of Jerusalem, and he holds a bigorne – a long wooden bar used to soften leather © NDC
Initial Q from the first letter of Saint John: “Incipit E(pisto)la S(an)c(t)i Joh(ann)is Prima ad Parthos“. A typical example of the Chartres style from the 1150s: scrolls and dragons © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial S of the second letter of Saint John. Much more original than the previous one, this letter features amusing faces: notably, one can see the one wearing a pointed hat © Photographs by H. Gaud
Initial S of the third letter of Saint John. It depicts a struggle between a bare man and a second man dressed in a red tunic. It is likely a symbolic confrontation between instinct (wild) and Spirit (measured) © Photographs by H. Gaud