Gospels of Henry the Lion. An illuminated manuscript of the Four Gospels made c.1175–80 for Henry the Lion (c.1129–95), Duke of Brunswick and Saxony. The ruler of vast territories in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Scandinavia, ‘He was by far the most important man of his time and was recognised as such not only in Germany but throughout the civilised world’ (A. L. Poole, Henry the Lion, 1912).
The manuscript was made at Helmarshausen Abbey, which was a famous centre of artistic production (see Theophilus), for presentation to Brunswick Cathedral. It is an extraordinarily lavish book, with abundant use of gold, and was intended to symbolize Henry's wealth and power and to set forth his claim (which remained unfulfilled) to the title of Holy Roman Emperor; the dedication page justifies this claim on the basis of his descent from Charlemagne.
The provenance of the manuscript is obscure in some places, but it was for centuries in Prague Cathedral until sold to the King of Hanover in 1861. In 1983 it came on the open market for the first time and was sold at Sotheby's, London, which justifiably described it as ‘the finest illuminated manuscript remaining in private hands’.
It was bought by the West German government for £8,140,000—at the time the highest price paid for any work of art, and more than ten times the price ever realized by an illuminated manuscript. It is held jointly by the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich, and the Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel, alternating between the two locations.
How to cite this entry:
"Gospels of Henry the Lion" The Oxford Dictionary of Art. Ed. Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 23 August 2011
How to cite this entry:
"Gospels of Henry the Lion" The Oxford Dictionary of Art. Ed. Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 2004. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 23 August 2011
