Formal and Stylistic Elements of The Manuscript
In The Illuminated Manuscript Backhouse states that, “The Lindisfarne Gospels is one of the first and greatest masterpieces of medieval European book painting” (Backhouse 1979, 10). The Lindisfarne Gospels is called Insular or Hiberno-Saxon art, a general term that refers to manuscripts produced in the British Isles between 500-900 AD (Backhouse 2004). As a part of Anglo-Saxon art the manuscript reveals a love of riddles and surprise, shown through the pattern and interlace in the meticulously designed pages. Many of the patterns used for the Lindisfarne Gospels date back beyond the Christian period (Backhouse 1981, 47). In the Gospels there is a strong presence of Celtic, Germanic, and Irish art styles. The spiral style and “knot work” evident in the formation of the designed pages are influenced by Celtic art (Backhouse 1981, 47). One of the most fascinating and characteristic styles in the manuscript is the zoomorphic style (adopted from Germanic art) and is revealed through the extensive use of interlaced animal and bird patterns throughout the book (Backhouse 1981, 47). The birds that appear in the manuscript may also have been from Eadfrith’s own observations of wildlife in Lindisfarne (Backhouse 2004). The geometric design motifs are also Germanic influence, and appear throughout the manuscript. The carpet pages (pages of pure decoration) exemplify Eadfrith’s use of geometrical ornamentation. Another notable aspect of the Gospels are tiny drops of red lead, which create backgrounds, outlines, and patterns, but never appear on the carpet pages (Backhouse 1981, 51). The red dots appear in early Irish manuscripts, revealing their influence in the design of the Lindisfarne Gospels (Backhouse 1981, 51). Thacker points out that Eadfrith had a great amount of knowledge and influence from other artistic styles, suggesting Eadfrith had “eclectic taste” (Thacker 2004). While there are many non-Christian artistic influences in the manuscript, the patterns were used to produce religious motifs and ideas.
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