Sacramentary of Drogon

The Sacramentary of Drogon (Paris, National library, ms lat. 9428) is a handwritten enluminé Carolingian on Vellum paper, one of the monuments of the Carolingian illustrated books. Sacramentary is a book containing all the prayers called by the priest officiating during the year.

The Sacramentary one was written and painted for the personal use of the son of Charlemagne, Drogon, bishop of Metz. Metz one was évêché important: Charles the bald person was crowned in the basilica, and Louis the Piles and his illegitimate half-brother Drogon the bishop are buried there. In 843 Metz becomes the capital of the kingdom of Lotharingie and certain councils are held to with it.

The position of Drogon enabled him to be one of the large patrons of arts of the 9th century. It embellished its cathedral with works among which appear most important of Carolingian art in term of beauty and preciosity. Among those which survived until our days, are the three manuscripts of the school of the Court, whose Sacramentary one of Drogon is most mature and most accomplished.

This Sacramentary is not the product of a monastic Scriptorium, but originates in the school of the Court of the king. It contains only the liturgical sections that the bishop pronounces. An example of its iconography initial is illuminated O for the prayers of the Palm Sunday, which contains a Crucifixion of an iconographic type new, that one would rather call Christ patient ( christus patiens ) than Christ triumphing over the Cross ( christus triumphans ) as that was the tradition. In this image, the dead-man and ravaged of Christ pours water and blood, which are collected by an image of recognizable woman as Ecclesia, the Church, in the Saint Chalice, which deviend the legend of the Saint Graal later. The Serpent is rolled up at the base of the cross and of the figures representing the Sun and the Moon are pilot event over. The style of the manuscript is also regarded as representative the influence of the patron, and that in a way unusually uniform showing an small group of artists working in very close collaboration.

Its dimensions are of 264 mm per 214 mm and account 130 folios. It is abundantly enluminé.

External bonds

facsimile Volume, Adeva, Vienna
Adam H. Veil, " Carolingian Iconography" Crucifixion;
The ''christus patiens'' iconography

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