A biography of Bernward (said to be written by his contemporary, Thangmar)
states that he excelled in the "mechanical arts," including painting and
metalwork: "he practiced the art of painting with precision, and he
distinguished himself remarkably in the science and art of metalwork . . .
." An inscription on the cover of a deluxe gospel book that Bernward
presented to St. Michael's in 1015 refers to the work as "made through the
skill of Bishop Bernward."
As it happens, Adam Cohen and I have written an article on Bernward that
touches on this question; it is called "Bernward and Eve at Hildesheim,"
and will appear in the next issue of Gesta (to appear in a month or so, I
think). It includes a discussion of the Thangmar text.
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