What is the Utrecht Psalter?

The Utrecht Psalter is innovative, unique in its kind and a real trendsetter. It was made around the year 830 and it has been kept in Utrecht University Library since 1716. It is the genuine treasure of Special Collections. . A masterpiece pur sang of which Special Collections is exceptionally proud. In this video

What type of writing is in the Psalter?

The Psalter is written in rustic capitals, a script which by the 9th century had fallen out of favour in Carolingian manuscripts. These are now widely viewed as imitation rustic capitals, and the manuscript is dated no earlier than the 9th century (Lowe, 237).

Why is the psalter considered a 6th-century work?

The psalter was at one time thought to be a 6th-century work largely because of the use of archaic conventions in the script. The Psalter is written in rustic capitals, a script which by the 9th century had fallen out of favour in Carolingian manuscripts.

How many times was the psalter copied?

The psalter spent the period between about 1000 to 1640 in England, where it had a profound influence on Anglo-Saxon art, giving rise to what is known as the “Utrecht style”. It was copied at least three times in the Middle Ages. A complete facsimile edition of the psalter was made in 1875 (Lowe, 237), and another in 1984 (Graz).

What is the oldest Psalter in the Bible?

When the psalter was rediscovered again in the 19th century, it was thought to be the oldest manuscript containing the Latin text of the creed (Schaff, 70), as some thought the psalter dated from the 6th century. The oldest manuscripts of the Athanasian creed date from the late 8th century (Chazelle, 1056).

What is a Carolingian Psalter?

The Psalter is the earliest and most fully illustrated of a “narrative” group of Carolingian Psalters and other manuscripts; the much greater freedom of their illustrations may represent a different, probably monastic, audience for them from the more hieratic productions for the court and the altar.