Être ou paraître antique ? Les illustrations des textes antiques et tardo-antiques dans les manuscrits carolingiens à l’exemple de la Psychomachie de Prudence

To Be or To Appear Antique? Illustrating Prudentius’ Psychomachia and other Antique or Late Antique Texts in Carolingian Manuscripts The earliest preserved illustrations of antique and late antique texts are often Carolingian. The similarities between the preserved medieval cycles and their formal characteristics suggest that they are “copies” of lost ancient “archetypes”. With some twenty illustrated cycles dating from the 9th to the 11th centuries, the Psychomachia of Prudence, written around 400, offers a particularly rich corpus for the study of this type of image. Their comparative analysis reveals both highly permanent elements and specific accents suggesting different interpretations on the part of the designers. An active and creative attitude on the part of medieval pictores must be taken into account when interpreting these cycles. The continuities and variations observed are also valuable indicators of the perception of Antiquity in the Early Middle Ages.