Scriptorium of Weingarten Abbey
South German (Swabia); founded 1056
Saint Gregory as Author
INV-5159
Scriptorium of Weingarten Abbey
South German (Swabia); founded 10561188/1200
Saint Gregory as Author
Scriptorium of Weingarten Abbey South German (Swabia); founded 1056 →medievalwatercolormanuscript
Date
1188/1200
Medium
Opaque watercolor on parchment
Dimensions
34.9 × 24.5 cm (13 3/4 × 9 11/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Clarence Buckingham Collection
This striking author portrait honors Saint Gregory, who reigned as Pope Gregory the Great from 590 to 604. He is shown in the act of writing his homilies, with the dove of the Holy Ghost perched on his shoulder to provide inspiration. This leaf, illuminated on both sides, is apparently all that remains of a manuscript of the life of Saint Gregory written in the monastic scriptorium of Weingarten Abbey not far from Lake Constance during the time of Abbot Meingoz (1188–1200). In this period, the learned tradition of text and illustration was still preserved through the work of the monastic scribes, but secular workshops catering to the demand for books for new universities, administrative bodies, and other clients would soon dominate.
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