Thus she wears a blue veil and a claret-coloured
robe. In the reversed semicircle before her is another monogram, Uota or
Tuota, a name which perhaps may be translated Uta, Utta, Ida, etc. It
has been said already who she is likely to have been. It does not
follow, of course, that she herself wrote or illuminated the book she is
presenting, but judging from similar instances, as _e.g._ Herrade of
Landsberg and Hrosvita of Gandersheim, she may have done so.
Still the work looks technically too masterly for anyone not a trained
artist to have done. In the corners are small quadretti, containing
busts of the four cardinal virtues:--Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and
Fortitude; and in circlets in the centre of each border are Faith, Hope,
and Charity, the latter twice, at top and bottom. A number of
extraordinary beasts fill up little niches in the design, which may
possibly be also symbolical, but possibly also nothing but artistic
fancies. The other miniatures we must pass over. Nevertheless those
representing the four evangelists are worth examination;[31] the
ornamentation being especially rich and elaborate. Let us now turn our
attention to a new element--a new spirit we might term it--which was
manifesting itself in Italy and France.
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