The feet are nude and by no
means ill-drawn. Surrounding the head is a cruciform nimbus enclosed in
a circle--both cross and circle being pale green, the latter outlined
with red. The chief fault of the head is the excessive length of the
nose and the wide stare of the eyes. The right arm is raised somewhat as
in the St. Sernin Evangeliary, but with the palm outwards, and much
superior in drawing.
The whole figure is painted on, or at least surrounded by, a golden
background--so far indicating the Byzantine origin of the design. It is
enclosed in a cusped aureola formed of several coloured bands of green,
violet, and rose. This shows German taste. Eight circlets or medallions
surround this figure of Christ, four of which contain the symbols of the
evangelists; the other four--Isaiah, Daniel, Ezechiel, and Jeremiah. All
hold portions of the band which connects them, and on which appears a
series of inscriptions in Latin. These consist of passages from the
Vulgate.
The whole picture is placed in a square frame consisting of bands of
various colours and gold outlined in red. The inner ground is chiefly
blue, and the names of the prophets and evangelists are painted on it in
white Roman capitals. Taken altogether it is a very splendid page, but
even this is surpassed in gorgeous richness of ornament by the miniature
of St.
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