The Lindisfarne Gospels

"The Lindisfarne Gospels", an example of Anglo-Saxon painting, is famous for the quality of its decorated pages. This video examines the creation of the manuscript. It combines location footage with close-up detail from the "Gospels", and explores the process of making an illuminated manuscript.

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"The Lindisfarne Gospels" is one of Britain's greatest artistic treasures, a surviving example of Anglo-Saxon book painting of the late-seventh century. Written and illuminated in honour of God and St Cuthbert, in about AD 698 by the monk Eadfrith, afterwards Bishop of Lindisfarne, it is famous for the quality and intricate design of its decorated pages. Telling the story of the creation of "The Lindisfarne Gospels", and complementing Janet Backhouse's book of the same name (ISBN 0-7123-0400-2), this video combines location footage with images from other contemporary manuscripts and reveals the major pages of the "Gospels" in close-up. The comlex process of making an illuminated manuscript is also explored, with detailed evidence drawn from the manuscript itself.