The World of the Luttrell Psalter

Depicting scenes of everyday rustic life with vibrant color and earthy wit, the Luttrell Psalter is a unique and vivid document of British culture in the 1320s. Unlike other illuminated manuscripts, the Luttrell Psalter does not focus only on religious imagery, but instead portrays the domestic dramas of the day. Scenes of farming, archaic medical treatments, music and dance, and even marital friction spill over the psalms and cover the margins of this celebrated book.
In The World of the Luttrell Psalter, Michelle Brown unravels the Psalter’s history and sets it firmly within medieval society. A crucial element of the Psalter’s cultural context is its patron, wealthy landowner Sir Geoffrey Luttrell. Brown reveals that knowledge of Luttrell and the book’s audience is as important to understanding the work’s meaning as its striking imagery. Brown’s engaging narrative traces the inspiration and creation of the book, identifying its forebears while elucidating its originality. With lavish illustrations that highlight the inventiveness of the manuscript, The World of the Luttrell Psalter is an appealing guide to a remarkable artifact.

Michelle P. Brown is a manuscripts specialist and outreach officer at the British Library. She is the author of numerous works, including, most recently,The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality and the Scribe.