Reading and relating: Digitally tracing human groupings in the illustrations of the Utrecht Psalter

Abstract

Within the illustrations of the ninth century Utrecht Psalter, groupings of multiple people with no imperative role in the narrative are found in large numbers. This inclusion is unique and with clear intention, and unlike other non-essential pictorial elements in the composition such as foliage or buildings, all of these figures are drawn to completion. As the images in the Utrecht Psalter show consistency in their measurements on the page, as well as through the scale of elements within the actual illustrations, direct comparisons can be made on how these figures are employed in the scene. By using digital applications to create a compositional overlay of all these groups, a concentration of figures on the left and right sides of the image is observed. This article suggests that such an arrangement provides a readable image, with human groups added in order to encourage engagement with the text of the Psalter and aid in remembering its messages. Keywords: Utrecht Psalter; medieval literacy; manuscript illustration; image composition; digital humanities; artwork engagement