Gero-Codex

Gero-Codex

The Gero Codex is simultaneously the oldest surviving specimen from the famous scriptorium of Reichenau Abbey and also one of the most outstanding examples of Ottonian illumination. It is a magnificent Gospel Book designed for liturgical use, presumably in Cologne Cathedral, and is decorated with the most expensive paints, inks, and dyes as well as being illuminated with gold and silver leaf. More than any other Reichenau manuscript, it transmitted the Carolingian tradition of book art, which still maintained many forms from Late Antiquity, but also established a new artistic tradition in the scriptorium there that would influence future artistic movements. It was created ca. 969 by the monk Anno at the behest of Archbishop Gero of Cologne (ca. 900–976), who states in the dedication poem that he hopes Saint Peter will open the Pearly Gates for him in thanks for the splendid gift.

An Ottonian Masterpiece

Firstly, the manuscript was created only with the most expensive materials, beginning with its 176 leaves of fine parchment. The text is neatly written in Carolingian miniscule with frontispieces written in Capitalis rustica. Foremost among the artistic furnishings of the manuscript are the seven full-page miniatures, a full-page historiated initial of the Three Marys at the Tomb, and four elaborate full-page initials reminiscent of Insular illumination. Furthermore, there are hundreds of smaller yet still elaborate initials and marginal décor in gold, silver, and sumptuous colors. Decorative text pages written in gold ink with purple-dyed backgrounds and intricate frames with various patterns appear opposite of the full-page miniatures and three additional incipit pages appear in the text. The beholder is simply overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of this manuscript’s adornment.

Similarites with the Lorsch Gospels

The four Evangelist portraits and the Maiestas Domini that appear at the beginning of the manuscript closely resemble those found in the Lorsch Gospels, which predates it by more than half a century. However, it is not known if the monk Anno personally saw this manuscript or if they are both based on the same Carolingian model. In contrast to the Lorsch Gospels, these miniatures are simpler but more monumental, perspective and nature are deemphasized, and the figures appear larger in comparison to the architectural elements. Its simplicity and severity are characteristic of the Ottonian style, which attempted to imitate the aesthetic Byzantine art, partly as an expression of the desire of the Ottonian rulers to be seen as equals by Constantinople and to be recognized as the legitimate inheritors of the Western Roman Empire.

The Full-Page Miniatures

Following the example of the Ada school, each Evangelist is depicted dressed in a toga, seated in three-quarter profile, and writing their respective Gospels inside of an architecture with their symbol in the arch above them. The Maiestas Domini depicts Christ enthroned holding up his right hand in blessing with his thumb and ring finger touching while holding a book in his left hand. He is surrounded by a decorative ring finely patterned in gold and silver with each of the Four Evangelist Symbols in medallions. Size is an indicator of status in both of the dedication miniatures – the first depicts Gero presenting the manuscript to Saint Peter and the second depicts the monk Anno presenting the work to the donor Gero – with the presenters being smaller and humbler than the dominant seated figures receiving the manuscript. The fact that Gero is not depicted in episcopal regalia allows us to date the manuscript to just before 969, the year of his elevation to Archbishop of Cologne, which leads to speculation that this gift may have been intended to give Gero an advantage in the election of that high office.

A Mysterious Provenance

The dedication of the Gero Codex to a basilica devoted to Saint Peter and the identity of the patron has led to the natural conclusion that it was intended for use in Cologne Cathedral. It presumably remained there for centuries and was used for the regular performance of the Mass, which makes the excellent state of its preservation all the more incredible. However, it disappeared from the cathedral library’s catalogue in the mid-18th century and came to the Premonstratensian Monastery of Wedinghausen at an unknown time, possibly much earlier because the manuscript was already referred to as the “painted book of Wedinghausen” at the beginning of the 19th century. Landgrave Ludwig I of Hesse-Darmstadt (1753–1830) acquired the manuscript in 1803 during Secularization and it became one of the jewels of his court library in Darmstadt, which developed into the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt where it has been stored since 1948.