The Lavish Manuscripts of Charles the Bald (860s–870s): The Revival of Figurative Painting

During the 860s and 870s, a series of extraordinarily decorated manuscripts were commissioned by Charles the Bald, grandson of Charlemagne, from an unidentified scriptorium. These manuscripts mark a high point of Carolingian art, as their artists:

• Freely borrow from Late Antique, Byzantine, Insular, and Italian artistic traditions, creating a richly eclectic style.
• Reintroduce figurative painting and pictorial narrative to northern Europe, bridging the gap between the classical world and the medieval age.
• Use elaborate gold and silver leaf, combined with vivid colors and intricate calligraphy, to produce some of the most luxurious manuscripts of the early medieval period.

Stylistic Influences

1. Late Antiquity → Borrowing from Roman imperial art, these manuscripts feature illusionistic depth, naturalistic drapery, and architectural framing, reviving pictorial realism.
2. Byzantine Art → The use of gold backgrounds, stylized figures, and elaborate decoration echoes Byzantine icon painting and mosaics.
3. Insular Traditions (British Isles) → The intricate interlace patterns, ornamental initials, and carpet pagesreflect influences from Northumbrian and Irish monasteries.
4. Italian Renaissance Precursors → Elements of early Carolingian classicism, inspired by manuscripts preserved in Rome and Ravenna, help bridge Late Antiquity and medieval book illumination.

Key Manuscripts from the 860s–870s

• Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram (c. 870, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich) → Featuring a gold and gem-encrusted cover, it exemplifies the opulence of Carolingian manuscript art.
• Vivian Bible (c. 846, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris) → A grand, illuminated Bible presented to Charles the Bald at Tours, with narrative biblical imagery.
• Psalter of Charles the Bald (c. 860, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris) → A richly illustrated psalter with classical figures and detailed architectural settings.
• Lothair Crystal (9th century, British Museum, London) → While not a manuscript, this carved rock crystal disk commissioned in the Carolingian court exemplifies the visual storytelling techniques seen in manuscripts.

Impact on European Art

• These manuscripts redefine book illumination, merging northern European, Byzantine, and Roman influences into a new visual language.
• The artistic innovations of Charles the Bald’s court influence the Ottonian and Romanesque manuscript traditions, ensuring the continuation of pictorial narrative and classical imagery in later medieval Europe.
• They help establish Charles the Bald’s court as a leading center of cultural patronage, reinforcing Carolingian authority through artistic grandeur.

The manuscripts of the 860s and 870s commissioned by Charles the Bald represent a culmination of Carolingian artistic achievement, reviving figurative painting and setting the stage for the flourishing of medieval manuscript illumination in the centuries to come.