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The Codex Aureus of Echternach(''Codex aureus Epternacensis'') is an 11th-century illuminated Gospel Book, created in the approximate period 1030-1050,〔Metz, 55 and preceding pages, followed by Lasko, 98 prefer "between 1053 and 1056" (Lasko), but do not seem to have convinced later scholars.〕 with a re-used front cover from around the 980s.〔Lasko, 98 "the cover must date between Otto III's royal coronation of 983 and Theophanu's death in 991", followed by the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, who add "perhaps 985–987".〕 It is now in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany.〔Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs. 156142.〕 The manuscript contains the Vulgate versions of the four gospels plus prefatory matter including the Eusebian canon tables,〔Apart from the short texts on the tablets carried by angels, there are three prefaces by Jerome, and the ''Letter of Eusebius'', all often found prefacing medieval Gospel books. Metz, 64–65〕 and is a major example of Ottonian illumination, though the manuscript, as opposed to the cover, probably falls just outside the end of rule by the Ottonian dynasty. It was produced at the Abbey of Echternach under the direction of Abbot Humbert. The manuscript has 136 folios which measure 446 mm by 310 mm. It is one of the most lavishly illuminated Ottonian manuscripts. It contains over 60 decorative pages including 16 full page miniatures, 9 full page initials, 5 evangelist portraits, 10 decorated pages of canon tables, and 16 half-page initials. In addition there are 503 smaller initials, and pages painted to resemble textiles. The entire text is written in gold ink.〔Walther, 128; Metz has full details〕 ==Text and miniatures== Each gospel is preceded by the following: two pages summarizing the gospel, two pages imitating textiles, four pages of narrative scenes laid out in three registers per page, a full-page evangelist portrait, two pages of decorative text, before a full-page initial, which begins the actual text. As one art historian put it, the planner of the book "was in no hurry to bring his reader to the text".〔Review by William C. Loerke of Metz (see references), ''College Art Journal'', Vol. 18, No. 1 (Autumn, 1958), p. 86, (JSTOR )〕 The narrative scenes cover the Life of Christ, including many of his miracles, and preceding Luke his parables, which by this date was becoming unusual.〔Dodwell, 144; all are illustrated and described in Metz, see list of plates〕 There are one, two or sometimes three scenes in each register, giving a total of 48 framed images with 60 scenes, an unusually large number for a medieval cycle. Unlike the comparable scenes in the Augustine Gospels, the scenes are arranged to cover the life and ministry of Jesus without concern for whether a particular scene is covered in the gospel it precedes.〔Metz, 68〕 The pages before Matthew take the story from the Annunciation to the "Feast in the House of Levi", and those before Mark cover miracles from the Wedding at Cana to the Samaritan thanking Jesus after Cleansing ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). The scenes before Luke show four of the parables of Jesus, each over a whole page: the ''Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard'', ''Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen'', the ''Parable of the great banquet'' and the ''Rich man and Lazarus''. The pages preceding John cover the final period, from the Passion of Jesus to his Ascension and Pentecost.〔Metz, plates and the notes on them; all pages are illustrated.〕 Most of the miniatures are attributed to two artists, known as the "workshop master" and another presumed to be a pupil. A third, cruder, painter contributed some of the narrative scenes, and perhaps other elements which are harder to attribute. For example, the last three pages of the final narrative scenes preceding John are attributed to the master (so from the Crowning with Thorns onwards), and the first page to the pupil. It is likely that the compositions and underdrawings were all by the master, so the changes of painter are not over-conspicuous.〔Walther, 130〕 The style has been criticized for excessive interest in decorative effect: it "produced some vigorous and cheerful patterns, as in the St Luke, but it could descend to fussiness, as in the Christ in Majesty, where the strength of the composition has been frittered away by the ornamental vagaries of the Echternach artist. This weakness was even more apparent in the evangelist 'portraits', where the ornamental bands of the Sainte-Chapelle Gospels are degraded into decorative garrulity, and there is so little weight and structure under the draperies that they might be covering mere inanimate cushions."〔Dodwell, 144〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Codex Aureus of Echternach」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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