Take another example from the Laon collection, the History of Orosius.
The first page is a type of the species to which it belongs, and,
moreover, a good sample of the earliest efforts of all pictorial art. An
ordinary rectangular cross occupies the centre of the page. The centre
shows us the Lamb of the Apocalypse and St. John. On the arms are the
beasts which typify the Evangelists--their emblems, as they are
sometimes called. We notice that they are all symbolic, and not intended
to be natural imitations of reality. The various animals scattered about
the page are all symbolic--all have a mystical interpretation and
_raison d'?tre_. A border-frame, passing behind each extremity of the
cross, contains a number of dog-like animals, some plain, others
spotted, while the body of the cross itself is occupied with attempts at
foliage ornaments. In the left upper corner are the letters "X P I," in
the right "I H V," thick foliage springing from the "I" and "V" and
falling back over the monogram. In the lower corners are two fishes and
two doves, each pair hanging to a penwork chain.
The emblem of John, on the upper extremity of the cross, is an
eagle-headed and winged man holding a book; its opposite one of Lucas at
foot is a singularly conceived anthropoid and winged ox, also with a
book.
Pages:
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76