Another well-known MS. is the Book of Durrow, also in Trinity College, Dublin. Some have thought that this was written by the famous Columba of Iona, as the name “Columba” is mentioned in the colophon at the end of the MS., but whether this Columba was St. Columba of Iona is, of course, debatable. Certainly a number of authorities are agreed that its claims to be an actual relic of St. Columba are by no means to be altogether rejected. The Book of Durrow, although very fine, is not such a good example as the Book of Kells.
It would be interesting to know if St. Columba had much to do with the cultivation of this art. The early biographies certainly speak of him as an enthusiastic calligrapher, and in an ancient “Life of St. Columba” he is spoken of as having written “three hundred splendid, lasting books.”
It was through the efforts of the Scoto-Irish missionaries from Iona that the art of illuminating was introduced into the north of England. They founded a monastery at Lindisfarne early in the seventh century. The famous Durham Book, or Lindisfarne Gospels, now in the British Museum, was written here about the year 700 (Nero D. IV.). The decoration and writing in this splendid MS. are essentially Celtic. It, however, differs from the Book of Kells by the slight use of gold in the decoration, also in the four full-page portraits of the Evangelists, which show a strong Italo-Byzantine influence. This MS. is undoubtedly one of the choicest treasures amongst the illuminated MSS. in the British Museum.
CARLOVINGIAN ILLUMINATION
At the end of the eighth century the great revival of the arts which followed the accession of Charlemagne acted as a great impetus to the art of illumination. This art was developed from the crude Merovingian style, and many elaborate volumes were produced. Some of the most sumptuous are the Alcuin Bibles, and the Gospel Books, which were written in gold. One of these Alcuin Bibles is exhibited in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 10546), also one of the Gospel Books (Harley MS. 2788). The miniatures and decoration in these MSS. seem to show the influence of the Roman, Byzantine, and Celtic Schools. The best period of Carlovingian illumination seems to be the eighth century.
THE WINCHESTER SCHOOL
One cannot write even the briefest of sketches concerning the history of illumination without referring to the work produced by the two Winchester Scriptoria, generally referred to under the appellation of “Opus Anglicum.”
The Anglo-Celtic tradition seems to have been completely lost, probably due to the Danish raids in the ninth century.
It is said that in the time of Alfred the Great, there was a scriptorium already in existence at Winchester, founded by St. Swithin, who was made Bishop of Winchester in 852. Alfred, when a boy of five, went with his father to Rome, and there is, at the very least, presumptive evidence that, when returning, he saw the library of Charlemagne at Aix-la-Chapelle.
When he came to the throne in 871 he founded another monastery near the old one, attaching a scriptorium. These two scriptoria were, at a later date, to become the nursery of English illumination.