TheStavelot Bible is aRomanesqueilluminated manuscriptBible in two volumes datable to 1093–1097. It was produced for, but not necessarily in, theBenedictine monastery ofStavelot, in thePrincipality of Stavelot-Malmedy of modernBelgium, and required four years to complete. It was probably the main liturgical Bible of the monastery, kept on the altar of the abbey church or in thesacristy, rather than in the library. It is one of the most importantMosan manuscripts of the last quarter of the 11th century, and shares some of its scribes and artists with the earlierLobbes Bible and a manuscript ofJosephus, in all of which a monk called Goderannus was at least a scribe, and possibly the main artist.[1] For many years it was in theRoyal Library atBamberg,[2] until it was acquired by theBritish Library inLondon,[3] where it is catalogued asAdd MS 28106-28107. The pages measure 581 x 390 mm, and there are 228 and 240 leaves in the two volumes.[4]
Both volumes of the book were written by two Benedictine monks, thecalligraphers Brother Ernest (or Ernesto) and Brother Goderannus. Goderannus had the habit, helpful to modern scholars, of addingcolophons with some detailed information to his manuscripts. In the Stavelot Bible a colophon records that the work took four years, including the illuminations and what was no doubt a magnificent metalworktreasure binding. The task was finished when "Jerusalem was under attack by many peoples", in other words during theFirst Crusade. Goderannus had written the Lobbes Bible, which another colophon dates to 1084; at that time he was a monk ofLobbes Abbey, but it is assumed that he had moved to Stavelot in the intervening years, as theJosephus was also made for the abbey there.[5] Many scholars believe that he was also the main artist for the miniatures in both manuscripts, although it is agreed that at least four hands were involved in the miniatures in the Stavelot Bible.[6] In particular, the most famous miniature, the image ofChrist in Majesty (shown to the right) was contributed by a different artist,[7][8] sometimes termed the "Master of the Holy Majesty", who may have been a layman.[9] It has even been suggested that it is a later addition to the manuscript, considering its advanced technique for the time, although most scholars find this theory unlikely, given that other artists of the region were known to demonstrate similar precocity at the time.[1] A number of other miniatures are also attributed to this artist, including the arcades over thecanon tables. In general the artists worked roughly on stretches of books in the Biblical sequence, so that, for example, thePentateuch initials are all by the same hand.[4]
TheChrist in Majesty, which comes at the start of theNew Testament, is the only full-page miniature; all others are decorated letters andhistoriated initials in large narrow panels at the start of the books of the Bible. Several of these show large numbers of small figures in different scenes, in particular the "I" ofIn principio at the beginning of theBook of Genesis, which takes up the whole height of the page, with a total of 33 small scenes within a geometric framework, ranging from the events ofGenesis itself to theLast Judgement.[10] They show varied influences, including a strong stylistic one from Mosan metalwork and enamels. The figure style shows the influences of the German tradition fromOttonian andCarolingian art, as well asByzantine art, possibly mediated through Italian works. There is decorative influence from the Anglo-NormanChannel School.[11] The miniatures show both the older technique of pen-drawing relatively lightly coloured-in, and the new style, derived from Italy, of fully painted images using opaque colours.[12] Theinterlace decoration of the Lobbes Bible has been replaced by foliage forms. The decorative scheme of the book is typical of large monastic Bibles, which during the Romanesque period were the most common books to be lavishly illuminated for display, along with thepsalter, having taken over this role from theGospel book. Careful examination of the Greek keyhole pattern surrounding the Christ in Majesty will reveal clusters of triple and five dot pattern in white. The entire scheme is based (at however many removes) on the 5th century mosaic band decorating the arch of the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna.
Dynes, Wayne Robert,The Illuminations of the Stavelot Bible, Education-Garla, 1978, New York,ISBN 0-8240-3225-X Reprint : Routledge Revivals.
