Press Release

‘Chief Relics of the Western World’ on Display at Oglethorpe University

ATLANTA – Oglethorpe University’s Philip Weltner Library will present the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels in the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art for one weekend only – Friday, October 26, through Sunday, October 28.

The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript which glorifies the life of Christ. Produced by Irish monks around 800 AD in the style known as Insular art, it is one of the more lavishly illuminated manuscripts to survive from the Middle Ages and had been described as the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination. It contains the four gospels of the Bible in Latin, decorated with numerous colorful illustrations. Of the 680 pages all but two are decorated with beautiful symbolic imagery which is woven into countless intricate designs. The facsimile pages provide a perfect replica of the original manuscript.

The Lindisfarne Gospels is one of the world's masterpieces of manuscript painting. An opulent and richly decorated gospel book, the Lindisfarne Gospels was created in the early eighth century for ceremonial use at the monastery of Lindisfarne in the northeast of England. The manuscript's main text is also a Latin version of the four gospels. This is a revision of the Latin Bible made in the late fourth century and widely used throughout the western world. The Gospels contains 15 elaborate fully decorated pages, featuring ornament of extraordinary intricacy.

This showing is free and open to the public from noon to 5:00 p.m. Free and ample parking is available. For more information please call 404.364.8514.