Free e-cards from the British Library
Images from the exhibition Painted Labyrinth: the World
of the Lindisfarne Gospels
Background to the Lindisfarne Gospels
View the online exhibition
Simply choose the image you wish to send by clicking on it.
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St Luke (incipit)
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Greek letter Chi
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St Mark (evangelist)
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Prefatory Carpet
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 Greek
letter Rho |
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St John (incipit)
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Background:
The Lindisfarne
Gospels is one of the world's greatest books. It was probably
made about
715-720, in the island
monastery of Lindisfarne, by Eadfrith, a gifted artist who merged
words and images to create a beautiful symbol of faith.
Lindisfarne lies off the coast of the old Anglo-Saxon
kingdom of Northumbria (NE England). Surprisingly, perhaps, the
book reflects many influences: native British, Celtic, Germanic,
Roman, Early Christian, Byzantine, North African and Middle Eastern.
The Lindisfarne Gospels is a glowing example
of a new style of 'insular' art (meaning 'from the British Isles').
The artist-scribe devised his own decorative style that fused
knotwork, step or key patterns from Graeco-Roman art and Celtic
La Tène, a curvaceous organic style of art that often
uses stylised animal and human forms. |
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