The Psalter of Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.From a kingdom forged in conquest, this precious book bears witness to the creative artistic milieu that emerged after the First Crusade (1095–1099). It is linked to a queen born of a marriage of East and West and reflects the cultural richness of her family’s place in society. The Transfiguration, shown within, depends on Orthodox visual traditions, the world of her maternal grandfather, while the depiction of the Raising of Lazarus from a house-like tomb reflects the French tradition from which her father came.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Psalter of Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem
- Date: ca. 1135
- Geography: Made in Jerusalem
- Medium: Tempera, gold, and ink on parchment; 218 folios
- Dimensions: 8 1/2 × 5 1/2 in. (21.6 × 14 cm)
- Classification: Manuscripts and Illuminations
- Credit Line: British Library, London
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters