Folchard Psalter

Folchart Psalter also uncommonly spelled Folchard Psalter (St. Gall, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. 23) is a Carolingian illuminated manuscript produced about 872-883 in the scriptorium of the Abbey of St. Gall under the direction the scribe Folchardus (usually modernized as Folchart).

Folchardus is attested to being a monk at St. Gall from 849-854 and 898-899. Curiously Folchardus is not mentioned in the “Casus” of Ekkehard IV making his biography obscured and incomplete by this omission. He is recorded being a sub-deacon in 858 and a deacon no later than 860; he was elected prior in the Benedictine monasteries at Zürichgau and Turgovia (869-878), and at the latest in 882 was elected the senior assistant or vicar of Abbot Hartmut.

Folchardus penned on folios 26-27 the following inscription: "Hunc praeceptoris Hartmoti iussa secutus/Folchardus studuit rite patrare librum" ("Following the orders of Abbot Hartmut/Folchart endeavoured to complete this book according to rules). Although Hartmoti (Hartmut) is referred to as praeceptor it really means abbot. Since he is cited as abbot it places the manuscript during his tenure of office 872-883.

Portraits of the tonsured Folchardus, holding the Psalter and bowing towards the abbot (far left side of tympanum painting of King David receiving his harp) and Abbot Harmut prepared to receive the Psalter with open arms (far right side of tympanum painting of the Ark of the Covenant transported by an oxen drawn wagon) are each found on the extreme ends of the folio on either side of the centralized bust of Christ in the spandrel on the “Dedication Page” on folio 12.

The initial letter Q of Psalm 51 (52) is often cited as a masterpiece of late Carolingian illumination.

The St. Gall Collegiate Library Accession for this manuscript is designated as “Cod. Sang. 23” -- for Codex Sangallenses no. 23. Dimensions: 38 x 29 cm.

LINKS TO FOLCHART PSALTER FOLIOS

Dedication Page (folio 12) Portraits of Folchardus and Abbot Hartmut http://www.cesg.unifr.ch/pressekonferenz/beispielbilder/csg-0023_012.jpg

Last Half of Inscription “Folchardus studuit rite patrare librum” (folio 27) http://www.cesg.unifr.ch/pressekonferenz/beispielbilder/csg-0023_027.jpg

Beatus Folio http://www.cesg.unifr.ch/pressekonferenz/beispielbilder/csg-0023_031.jpg

Initial “Q” of Psalm 51 (52) folio 31 http://www.ub.uni-freiburg.de/ausstellung/q-initiale.html

http://www.cesg.unifr.ch/pressekonferenz/beispielbilder/csg-0023_135.jpg

http://www.eye.ch/swissgen/kant/sgstia-q.htm

Two Double-Columned Bifolia (NOTE: scroll down to fig. 9) http://www.karger.com/gazette/67/Fuchs/art_5.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eggenberger, Christoph, Psalterium Folchardi (1989)

Landsberger, Franz. Der St. Galler Folchart-Psalter; eine Initialenstudie. (St. Gallen, Fehr, 1912)

Ochsenbein, P. and B. von Scarpatetti, Der Folchart-Psalter aus der Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen (1987)

Schmid, Alfred A. ed., Riforma religiosa e arti nell'epoca carolingia. Atti del XXIV Congresso internazinale di storia dell'arte, 1, (Bologna 1983): 99-107.

68.37.120.196 05:25, 28 October 2005 (UTC) John N. Lupia (27-Oct -05)