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at the behest of the abbess Uta, it is not only one of the most beautiful
of Ottonian manuscripts but also one of the most complex. The collection
of liturgical readings is preceded by four full-page frontispieces
illustrating the Hand of God, Uta dedicating the codex to the Virgin
and Child, a Crucifixion, and Saint Erhard (the convent's patron saint)
celebrating Mass. Four evangelist portraits accompany the readings
from each Gospel. In this groundbreaking study, Adam Cohen provides
comprehensive explications of the codex's renowned illuminations as
well as the first thorough investigation of its historical context.
Cohen shows that the lavish miniatures, among the most elaborate
pictures of the Middle Ages, use figures, ornaments, Latin tituli,
and geometric schemata to fashion visual exegeses of great range
and complexity. Through consideration of questions of function,
patronage, and program, Cohen also demonstrates that the codex commemorates
the abbess Uta's efforts to reform conventual life and education. The Uta Codex will be of interest to scholars of medieval
art as well as those exploring questions of women, monastic culture,
and intellectual life in the Middle Ages. |
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