The ascent of the blessed towards Christ. Sample of the Commentary on Canticles

Illuminated manuscripts from the Ottonian period produced in the monastery of Reichenau (Lake Constance).

These manuscripts epitomize book illustration from when Germany achieved artistic pre-eminence in Europe in the 9th-10th centuries, for the first time ever. The decline of the Carolingian Empire, political consolidation, renewal of the idea of the empire, and reform of the church all contributed to a period of cultural rise. The illustrations reflect the spirituality of the time and were influenced by paintings from Late Antiquity, the Carolingian period, and Byzantium; yet their intention was not imitation but creative new design. The manuscripts expansive cycles of miniatures on the life of Christ influenced art of subsequent centuries.