24th ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair - Vereinigung der ...

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Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books AG
Moosboden 1 ∙ 6063 Stalden, Schweiz
Besucheradresse: Spalenberg 55 ∙ 4051 Basel, Schweiz
Telefon +41 (0)61 2757575 ∙ Fax +41 (0)61 2757576
E-Mail: info@guenther-rarebooks.com ∙ Internet: www.guenther-rarebooks.com
Handschriften und Miniaturen des Mittelalters und der Renaissance ∙ Inkunabeln
‹Classic› Paris Bible with exceptional illustration cycle
Biblia Latina. Manuscript written on vellum,
illuminated by the workshop of the ‹Bible moralisée›.
France, Paris, c. 1220–30.
The rapid growth of the University of Paris as
well as the emergence of the activities of Dominican
and Franciscan preachers during the
early 13th century, necessitated a standardized
and portable copy of the Bible. In cooperation
with the theologian masters at the Paris schools,
professional workshops led by secular craftsmen
provided the means for regulating and
standardizing the Bible texts into one volume.
This version later became known as the ‹Paris
Bible›. Before it took its final shape by about
1230, a number of bibles had been copied – including
the present manuscript – prefiguring
the new version in an experimental phase.
Our book represents a state of transition in the
development of text and design, in illumination
and size. It was, presumably, made for a monastery
as the text is organized for liturgical use.
The rich decoration of the book presupposes an
important donor and destination.
Each biblical book is introduced by a superb
historiated initial, while the prologues usually
begin with one or more ornamental initials – although
some have an historiated initial as well.
Several illuminators seem to have been involved
in the decoration but their individual hands are
difficult to distinguish. Most characteristic in
the illumination of this book is the design of
garments, folds and drapery. Cloaks and tunics
have vivid and irregular hemlines, the colours
blue and red predominate the palette, while an
unusual yellowish green is used for the clothes
of minor characters. In the initials we see elegant,
elongated figures with eloquent gestures,
while faces remain rather static. Typical for our
painter(s) are the wide open eyes with pupils
carefully picked out as black dots, the relatively
straight eyebrows and low foreheads. Outlines
of noses terminate in flourishes and ears are almost
always hidden, usually under curly grey or
light brown hair accentuated with black lines.
The exceptional and complete illustration of
minute detail is related to the famous Parisian
workshop of the so-called Vienna Bible moralisée
(Vienna, ONB, ms. Vindib. 2554). In style
and iconography the present manuscript is best
compared to the Maugier Bible (Paris, Bibl. Ste
Geneviève, ms. 1180), thought to have come
from the same workshop in the late 20s of the
13th century in Paris. CHF 1 060 000.–
292 × 197 mm, 385 leaves, 59 delicately decorated
initials with floral ornaments and tendrils on gold
grounds in varying sizes, 81 historiated initials of
varying heights, between 5–37 lines and more, with
even longer extensions on gold grounds. Instructions
for the rubricator, sometimes for the illuminator.
– Binding: late 13th- or early 14th-century
pale sheepskin over wooden boards.
Our manuscript was last seen in public at the Lucerne
exhibition in 1949. – Literature: Pagina Sacra,
Bibles and Biblical Texts 1050–1511, Stalden 2011,
no. 8 (Dr Jörn Günther Catalogue no. 10)
Illustration: Beginning of the Gospel according to
Matthew, illustrated with Tree of Jesse and Annunciation
of Archangel Michael to the Virgin Mary
(f. 311).
52 24th ILAB International Antiquarian Book Fair