ABSTRACT
The full-page illumination showing Christ in Majesty (fig. 63: vol. II, fol. 136r) is surely the best known of all the Stavelot Bible miniatures. In fact it has probably been illustrated in art-historical books and articles of every sort more often than all the other initials of the manuscript put together. Not surprisingly, the exhibition case of the British Museum Bible Room almost invariably shows the Stavelot Bible open to this illumination. Moreover, in scholarly investigations this page often serves as a starting point for an attempt to assess the place of the Stavelot Bible in the context of early Romanesque painting. In view of the complexity and relative heterogeneity of the manuscript's illustrations, this would appear to offer a somewhat restricted vista. Nonetheless, it is clear that the illumination was intended to occupy a very important place in the overall program of illustrations in the Stavelot Bible. Indeed, only the great initial 'I' at the beginning of the book of Genesis can rival it in power and brilliance as a work of art. Yet despite its undeniably outstanding qualities, the Majesty composition proves to be hard to come grips with in concrete terms. This difficulty, paradoxically, is due in part to the consummate mastery of its design and execution. With an extraordinary sureness, the Majesty Master has refined away any elements that might be 217regarded as superfluous. The work consequently lacks the richness and complexity of the 'I' Initial, to which It stands as an opposite pole. It is astonishing the degree to which everything fits together simply and logically. This clarity and directness serve to guard the inner strength of the miniature, so to speak, and our task must be to try to explore further into this area. Hence, the description that is to follow of the Majesty illumination must be especially detailed, with a view towards bringing out any nuances that may contribute to a more precise definition of its special character.
