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The Ebbo Gospels (Épernay, Bibliothèque Municipale, Ms. 1) is an early Carolingian illuminated Gospel book known for its illustrations that appear agitated. The book was produced in the ninth century at the Benedictine Abbaye Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers, by Ebbo, the archbishop of Reims. Its style influenced Carolingian art and the course of medieval art. The Gospels contains the four gospels by Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John, and Saint Matthew, along with their illustrations containing symbolism and iconography. The evangelists illustrations reflect an expressive art style called Emotionalism, that has a stylistic relationship with the Utrecht Psalter and the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram. In comparison to the Utrecht Psalter and the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram, the Ebbo Gospels demonstrates very energetic lines and dimension, in contrast to the Classical Roman art style of the past.
After the fall of Rome, Charlemagne later became emperor to spread the word of Christianity and revive ancient Roman arts. He commissioned many Gospels and manuscripts including the Ebbo Gospels to help educate people and preserve ancient Roman art. These Christian manuscripts aided the way Charlemagne believed Christianity should be practiced.
The Gospel book contains a poem to Ebbo (also spelled Ebo). The Ebbo Gospel focus is the four gospels of the new testament and depicts the four Evangelism Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John in illustration. In the foreground of the illustration depicting Matthew in the Ebbo Gospels, Matthew is sitting down wearing Roman clothing with his feet outstretched on his foot stool. His face is very expressive as he leans forward using the tools such as an ink horn (left hand), which contained ink, and a stylus (right hand) to create his gospel book with his blank codex. In the background, in the upper right corner, Matthew's symbol, an angel or a man with wings, is holding a scroll. The Roman architecture of classic Byzantine and nature landscape is present in the background.
St. Mark's illustration represents him seated in a Roman stool, twisting his body to look upwards towards his symbol of a lion that is holding a scroll. His clothing consists of many lines, shadows, and highlights. Mark's facial expression is relaxed as he dips his stylus in ink to prepare for writing, in the inscribed codex rested on his leg.
In St. Luke's illustration he is sitting down looking at his symbol of an ox with his codex, ink horn, and stylus rested in his lap. Another codex is inscribed on a stand in front of Saint Luke, but his eyes are only directed towards his symbol.
St. John is illustrated as an older man with a beard, with his head surrounded by a halo. His body is twisted as he looks at his symbol of an eagle to his left, and holds a long scroll across his body.
The illustrations have roots in late classical painting; landscapes are represented in an illusionistic style, as a reflection of Roman culture and the landscapes are represented in an illusionistic style. The Roman influences within the art is shown within the clothing drapery, replicating the clothes of Roman philosophers in the illustration, as well as the Byzantine architecture in the background, heavily representing Rome.
The emotionalism, however, was new to Carolingian art and distinguishes the Ebbo Gospels from classical art.
Classical art was more naturalistic in replicating the human figure, while the art present in the Ebbo Gospels focused more on art style. Figures such as Evangelism are made with swift brush strokes that demonstrate energy, represented in nervous, agitated poses using a streaky style with swift brush strokes. In the 1st Century in Europe, the idea of an enthusiastic prophet was prevalent. This energy is reflected with the quick lines and Matthews eager body language to write having for god.
The artists make use of perspective by adding a foreground and background. The use of three-dimensional space is demonstrated by the depiction of shadows and highlights, the coloring of the sky, furniture, and the architecture in the back. The skewed proportions such as St. Matthews unbalanced look represent the evangelists are from another world and hold great power.
Historians have noted the similarity between the Utrecht Psalter and the Ebbo Gospels. The evangelist portrait of Saint Matthew in the Ebbo Gospels is similar to the illustration of the psalmist in the first psalm of the Utrecht Psalter. The Carolingian art could be the interpretation of the Utrecht Psalter Classical style that has quick and rapid brush-strokes. Other images in the Ebbo Gospels appear to be based on distortions of drawings which may have been from the Utrecht Psalter. Goldschmidt, a medieval historian, claims that many of the small details of the Utrecht Psalter can be compared to the features of the Ebbo Gospels. Items such the ink, the way animals are depicted, architecture is illustrates, body language and gestures that people in these books are given, has some connection between both the Ebbo Gospels and the Psalter.
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