During the Middle Ages, there are a variety of works of art were created, including metalwork, sculpture, painting, stained-glass windows, engraving, and manuscripts, which were mostly religious arts with catholic themes and subjects. Several people claimed that the manuscript illumination was not realistic at all, that the artists used more craft symbolism, and that this resulted in a variety of interests having distinct and deep impressions. Personally, I was also taken aback by these works of art, particularly " Lion Symbol of Saint John" from "The Book of Durrow. " Therefore, I will discuss this page in this essay.
Because of the increase in Christianity in Ireland, the amount of Christian art, particularly artwork like this book, increased. The style of the art was called Hiberno-Saxon art. “The Book of Durrow” is an Illuminated Manuscript in which Christian art is used with pagan interlace, as seen in this depiction of Saint John the Evangelist.
This page “the Lion Symbol of Saint John” of the manuscript is aged to around A. D. 650, and it represents Saint John the Evangelist as a lion surrounded by a rectangular border filled with interlace of green, yellow, and red.
The page depicts a lion in the middle with its jaws open and teeth bared as if growling or roaring. However, what strikes me as particularly impressive is the depiction of the lion's body in various colors, with Celtic symbols in vivid color around the manuscript's edges. Yellow, green, red, and brown are utilized to highlight specific details on the lion text. While yellow is introduced to emphasize the lion's muscles and separate its feet, brown dots are added to portray the head and underbelly. Its tail is likewise coiled up and curves around the lion's body. As a result, these characteristics may join to create a maze-like pattern. We can't dispute that this page has a logical unity of color and shape which created a technique distinctive for "the Lion Symbol of Saint John"
In addition, I believe that the symbols for the lion image in the middle also created the uniqueness of the illuminated manuscript from the "Book of Durrow". The lion appears to be a depiction of Saint John the Evangelist as a powerful spiritual figure. Along with his sole depiction in the manuscript's center, which is also meant to highlight his importance, and the lion is supposed to represent his strength. The lion is also often used to symbolize strength and power, similar to the lion or dragon shown in the Tunc Crucifixerant XPI of the "Book of Kells", which was another illuminated manuscript.
In conclusion, “the Lion Symbol of Saint John” is a typical example of Hiberno-Saxon art, with a movement from a sophisticated and intriguing art style to one that is more complex and intricate. This "Book of Durrow" from the Middle Ages period, not only shows Irish influence, but also incorporates an element of individualism, as indicated by the lion standing alone. The manuscript is also one of the earliest examples of medieval manuscript illumination; it is unique, and different from other art texts at the same time.
During the
Middle
Ages, there are a variety of works of
art
were created
, including metalwork, sculpture, painting, stained-glass windows, engraving, and
manuscripts
, which were
mostly
religious
arts
with catholic themes and subjects. Several
people
claimed that the
manuscript
illumination was not realistic at all, that the artists
used
more craft symbolism, and that this resulted in a variety of interests having distinct and deep impressions.
Personally
, I was
also
taken aback by these works of
art
,
particularly
"
Lion
Symbol
of Saint John
"
from
"
The
Book
of
Durrow
.
"
Therefore
, I will discuss this page in this essay.
Because
of the increase in Christianity in Ireland, the amount of Christian
art
,
particularly
artwork like this
book
, increased. The style of the
art
was called
Hiberno-Saxon
art
. “The
Book
of
Durrow
” is an Illuminated
Manuscript
in which Christian
art
is
used
with pagan interlace, as
seen
in this
depiction
of Saint John the Evangelist.
This page “the
Lion
Symbol
of Saint John” of the
manuscript
is aged
to around A. D. 650, and it represents Saint John the Evangelist as a
lion
surrounded by a rectangular border filled with interlace of green, yellow, and red.
The page depicts a
lion
in the
middle
with its jaws open and teeth bared as if growling or roaring.
However
, what strikes me as
particularly
impressive is the
depiction
of the lion's body in various colors, with Celtic
symbols
in vivid color around the manuscript's edges. Yellow, green, red, and brown
are utilized
to highlight specific
details
on the
lion
text. While yellow
is introduced
to emphasize the lion's muscles and separate its feet, brown dots are
added
to portray the head and underbelly. Its tail is
likewise
coiled up and curves around the lion's body.
As a result
, these characteristics may
join
to create a maze-like pattern. We can't dispute that this page has a logical unity of color and shape which created a technique distinctive for
"
the
Lion
Symbol
of Saint John
"
In addition
, I believe that the
symbols
for the
lion
image in the
middle
also
created the uniqueness of the illuminated
manuscript
from the
"
Book of
Durrow
"
. The
lion
appears to be a
depiction
of Saint John the Evangelist as a powerful spiritual figure. Along with his sole
depiction
in the manuscript's center, which is
also
meant to highlight his importance, and the
lion
is supposed
to represent his strength. The
lion
is
also
often
used
to symbolize strength and power, similar to the
lion
or dragon shown in the
Tunc
Crucifixerant
XPI
of the
"
Book of
Kells
"
, which was another illuminated manuscript.
In conclusion
, “the
Lion
Symbol
of Saint John” is a typical example of
Hiberno-Saxon
art
, with a movement from a sophisticated and intriguing
art
style to one
that is
more complex and intricate. This
"
Book of
Durrow
"
from the
Middle
Ages period, not
only
shows
Irish influence,
but
also
incorporates an element of individualism, as indicated by the
lion
standing alone. The
manuscript
is
also
one of the earliest examples of medieval
manuscript
illumination; it is unique, and
different
from other
art
texts at the same time.