The Lindisfarne Gospels Janet Backhouse Phaidon 1981 Illuminated Manuscript Book

The Lindisfarne Gospels by Janet Backhouse is a beautifully illustrated study of one of the most celebrated illuminated manuscripts of the Anglo-Saxon world. Created at Lindisfarne in the early 8th century, the manuscript is renowned for its intricate decorative pages, evangelist portraits, elaborate initials, and richly patterned “carpet” pages.

Backhouse explores the origins, creation, decoration, and later history of the Gospels, placing the manuscript within the broader tradition of medieval illuminated books. The volume features numerous illustrations, including color reproductions of the manuscript’s most important illuminated pages, making it an excellent reference for collectors, historians, and anyone interested in medieval art, manuscript illumination, and British history.

Published by Phaidon in association with the British Library in 1981.

96 pages

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