Macclesfield Psalter
The Macclesfield Psalter is a lavishly illuminated manuscript probably produced c. 1320–30[a] in East Anglia.[1] The psalter, or book of Psalms, contains 252 beautifully illustrated pages and is named after its most recent owner, the Earl of Macclesfield.
History
Having rested unrecognised on the shelves of
Contents
The Macclesfield Psalter belongs in the "central tradition of the so-called East Anglian manuscripts, as exemplified by the Gorleston Psalter."[1] Like other luxury psalters, the Macclesfield Psalter was probably intended for private reading instead of public use in church. The scribe is believed to be the same one who executed two other psalters from the East Anglian group, the Stowe Breviary and the Douai Psalter.
The chief splendour of the Psalter, however, is indisputably the illumination, which is unusually lavish. There are some full-page
The Psalter, (noted for its gaudy, vivid images and its coarse
Christopher de Hamel of Sotheby's attributes the illumination to one of the artists of the Douai Psalter. Stella Panayotova believes that the versatility displayed in the Macclesfield Psalter's design suggests the involvement of multiple artists and that "at least two assistants decorated the borders and may have painted designs sketched by the Master".[1]
The original patron of the Psalter is unknown, as it appears that a
Notes
- ^ Christopher de Hamel suggests that the Macclesfield Psalter 'stands somewhere between the Gorleston and Douai manuscripts', and may be seen as 'a missing link' between the two books.
References
- ^ JSTOR 41154953.
- ^ "Macclesfield Psalter saved for the nation" Cambridge University News Article - Accessed 6 July 2008.
- ^ Fitzwilliam Museum's Macclesfield Psalter News - Accessed 6 July 2008.
External links
- The Art Fund Macclesfield Psalter Campaign — reviews the campaign to preserve the Psalter for the UK and the Psalter's importance
- The Macclesfield Psalter — official Fitzwilliam Museum website