Fig. 1. Winchester Cathedral's Romanesque crossing tower at the junction of the Romanesque transept and Gothic nave. Photograph by Charles T. Little
The Winchester Bible has resided in the place of its making since the Middle Ages, and has left for only brief periods of time for such occasions as its current exhibition at the Metropolitan. It is the centerpiece of the holdings of the Winchester Cathedral Library. Marking the high point of manuscript production at Winchester, the great Bible was the culmination of a long tradition of creating sumptuous manuscripts central to the spiritual life of the cathedral and its affiliated monastic communities. Before larger European cities became the driving force for artistic production, places like Winchester—which was both the royal seat of power and a spiritual and pilgrimage center—fostered the creation of amazing works for many years.
From the time of King Alfred the Great (871–99), Winchester had an Old Minster, or cathedral, and a New Minster also in development. Today, the Cathedral of Winchester is of breathtaking size and beauty, and it was intended to be just that since its inception. Begun under the Norman Bishop Walkelin (1070–98), the east end, crossing, and part of the nave were dedicated in 1093 (Figs. 1 and 2). This initial campaign offers a glimpse of the religious triumphalism that would later drive ambitious building projects intended to convey the power of the Church.
Fig. 2. The interior of the Cathedral's Romanesque transept with triforium gallery. Photograph by Charles T. Little
By the 1120s, the new cathedral had reached its full length of 164 meters (539 feet), making it the longest in Europe after the Benedictine abbey of Cluny in Burgundy (Figs. 3, 4, and 5). The Cathedral completed a complex of buildings that also included the ancient cathedral (Old Minster), the New Minster, a royal palace, and the bishop's palace. Such grandeur and prestige was required of a city that functioned as the royal seat and the center of ecclesiastical affairs and the place where the Anglo-Saxon kings were buried.
Fig. 3. Image showing the immense length of the Cathedral's nave, as well as the tower and north transept. Photograph by WyrdLight.com [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The production of manuscripts at Winchester was at this point well established, with deluxe illuminated works, as well as charters and ecclesiastical works, being produced. For example, the immediate predecessor to the Winchester Bible is the Winchester Psalter (British Library, Cotton Nero C.IV), which contains thirty-eight full-page images illuminating the Old and New Testaments. Probably finished by 1161, the Psalter may possibly have been ordered by Bishop Henry of Blois (1129–71). Winchester was renowned for its manuscript production from an early date, and the great age of Anglo-Saxon illumination is marked by such masterworks as the Benedictional of St. Aethelwold (British Library, MS Add.49598), produced between 963 and 984, and the Pontifical of Robert of Jumièges (Rouen, Bibl. Mun. MS Y. 7), produced between 1051 and 1055.
Fig. 4. Interior of the nave with the wooden Gothic choir screen. Photograph by Christophe.Finot (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
From the seventh century, the Anglo-Saxon rulers were buried at Winchester. As the royal seat, the city became a magnet for the arts, as the many documents, surviving embroideries, illuminated manuscripts, reliquaries, and goldsmith works created there attest, but many more have vanished. In fact, Winchester was wealthy enough by around the year 1000 a.d. to have specific quarters for artists and craftsmen, referred to as Shieldmakers' Street (Sildwortenestret), Goldsmiths' Street (Goldestret), and Tanners' Street (Tennerestret). Also at this time, numerous painters and goldsmiths at New Minster, who were monk-artists, are mentioned, but their works have not survived.
Fig. 5. Winchester Cathedral's great west facade. Photograph by Charles T. Little
By the tenth century, Winchester had created its own style that merged elements of Carolingian art, especially from Reims, with its distinctive linear, energized outline drawings. The so-called Winchester style was actually widely employed and not confined to one center. The historical and artistic consequences of the victory of Duke William of Normandy at Hastings in 1066 brought Winchester into the center of a larger, even international, arena where the city nourished, transformed, and revitalized English manuscript illumination.