The Art of Reform in Eleventh-Century Flanders

This study is the first detailed exploration of the events and personalities that inspired the early eleventh-century Saint-Vaast Bible's highly innovative miniature program. Copied and illuminated in the venerable abbey of Saint-Vaast, Arras, the Bible broadcast the political and theological beliefs of Bishop Gerard of Cambrai and Abbot Richard of Saint-Vanne, who cooperated in the sometimes contentious reform of a series of abbeys throughout Flanders. While the miniature program defended royal and episcopal hegemony and highlighted the importance of cooperation between secular and ecclesiastical government, the layout of the Bible facilitated continuous reading during the monastic Office. Illustrated with 46 figures and 10 color plates, this book introduces one of the earliest and most important Romanesque Giant Bibles.