Canon arch

fol. 3r of the manuscript BL Add. 5463

A canon arch is an illustration in book illumination . It is the decorative dome above a table in which scriptures from the Bible are given. Eusebius of Caesarea had classified the Gospels and created an overview of which stories occur several times. This table was already framed by architectural representations in Byzantine art . The canon arch formed the upper end of the decoration in the manner of an arcade . The architectural representation often served as a background for floral or animal motifs and decorations. The depiction may be based on the iconostasis in orthodox church buildings .

Examples

• Tetraevangelion - Ornate canon arch
• Gospels of the curator Berchtolt of Salzburg

literature

• Marion Janzin: The book of the book : 5000 years of book history. Schlütersche, 2014. p. 52; Fig. P. 68. ISBN 3842685823 , 9783842685826
• Albert Boeckler : The canon arch of the Ada group and their templates . 1954. In: Münchner Jahrbuch der bildenden Kunst. 3rd Series, Vol. 5 (1954), pp. 7-22

Web links

Commons : Canon Arch  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

• Albert Boeckler, Paul Buberl, Hans Wegener, book painting , in: Reallexikon zur Deutschen Kunstgeschichte , Vol. II (1950), Sp. 1420–1524; in: RDK Labor