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Utrecht Psalter

Illuminated Manuscripts and Calligraphic Works

The Utrecht Psalter is a ninth century illuminated psalter regarded as a key masterpiece of Carolingian art and probably the most valuable manuscript held in the Netherlands. It is known for its one hundred sixty six lively pen drawn illustrations, one accompanying each psalm and the other texts in the manuscript. The psalter spent several centuries in England, where it profoundly influenced Anglo-Saxon art and gave rise to what art historians call the Utrecht style.

Facts
Year Created
830 1
Dated by most scholars to between 816 and 835; some argue for circa 850 instead.
Medium
Pen-and-ink illustrations on vellum 1
Location
Utrecht University Library, Netherlands 1
Classification
Genre
Manuscript Illumination 1
Connections

In Form

Carolingian illuminated psalter.

In Movement

A canonical work of Carolingian manuscript illumination.

In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Utrecht Psalter (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia, Utrecht Psalter, History and copies section (leaf count sentence)
    The entire volume contains 108 vellum leaves, approximately 13 by 10 inches (330 by 250 mm) in size.
  • Wikipedia, Utrecht Psalter, History and copies section (Utrecht University sentence)
    It reached Utrecht University in 1716, at which point it was incorporated into the University Library.
  • Wikipedia, Utrecht Psalter, History and copies section (dating sentence)
    It may have been sponsored by Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims, and so is usually dated between 816 and 835.
  • Genre reference
    The Utrecht Psalter is a ninth century illuminated psalter regarded as a key masterpiece of Carolingian art and probably the most valuable manuscript held in the Netherlands.
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