LIFE AS MYTH

Index

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JOURNAL

Index

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JOURNAL 2010

2010

A vision quest

Finding a guiding light

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WINTER 2010

Incarnating the word

Index 2010

The beatitudes

The book of hours

Les Tres Riches Heures

Les Belles Heures

The commissions of Jean France, Duc de Berry

The Book of Kells

The four evangelists

Carpet page

The Incarnation Initial

Incarnating the word

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LIFEWORKS

About

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ATLAS

Index

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WINTER 2010
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THE INCARNATION INITIAL

The Incarnation Initial (Chi + Rho are the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek and in this interpretation create a form similar to a "P"). The Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin. ca. 800 AD.

"Examine it carefully, and you will penetrate to the very shrine of art. You will make out intricacies so delicate and subtle, so concise and compact, so full of knots and links, with colors so fresh and vivid, that you might think all this was the work of an angel, not a man."
12th C. commentary on The Book of Kells.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ. Insular illumination often treated the opening words of Matthew in a highly decorative manner, out of reverence for the first words of the four Gospels. The Chi Rho [also known as the incarnation initial, The Book of Kells] is one of the most elaborate examples of this practice.

 

 

 

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