Chludov Psalter

The Psalter, named after Alexei Chludov, its last owner, captures the upheaval of the Byzantine Empire’s iconoclastic struggle. Employing a caricature, it lampoons John VII Grammatikos, the final iconoclastic Patriarch of Constantinople, depicting him erasing Christ’s image with a sponge, a pointed reference to Psalm 69:21.

Believed to originate from the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople or imperial workshops after the iconodules’ reinstatement in 843, the Psalter eventually found its way to Moscow in 1847. Its richly colored images, complemented by textual explanations and small arrows linking text to illustration, represented an innovative breakthrough in illuminated manuscript art.

The Psalter‘s illustrations not only depicted canonical Christian subjects but also mirrored contemporary disputes, delving into historical personalities of the iconoclastic era. Propagandist caricatures and annotations sharply criticized the iconoclasts, evident in miniatures illustrating Psalm 68:22, drawing parallels between Jewish tormentors and the Iconoclasts’ actions.

Although fragmentary, the Psalter preserves early 9th century majuscule, mostly obscured by later minuscule script, a testament to its long history of use. Inscriptions within the manuscript detail its movement from Mount Athos to Moscow, underlining its significance in Eastern Orthodox history.

The Chludov Psalter stands as one of the few surviving Byzantine manuscripts from the 9th century. Its provocative imagery and pointed commentary provide a remarkable insight into the religious and political turmoil of the era, defending religious imagery and offering a compelling visual narrative of the Iconoclastic controversy.

The facsimile edition of the Chludov Psalter is complemented by a bookcase for its conservation and a complementary study book made by subject matter experts.

This facsimile is a unique edition of 995 books numbered and authenticated by notarial deed.