The Art of the Bible

Introduction: One Thousand Years of Art and Beauty The Bibles 1. The Golden Canon Tables Canon Tables of Eusebius of Caesarea, in Greek Constantinople, 6th or 7th century [Turkey] Glimpses of early Christian splendour in Constantinople 2. The Lindisfarne Gospels The Four Gospels, in Latin, with added interlinear gloss in Old English Lindisfarne, c. 700 (added gloss, Chester-le-Street, c. 970) [UK] Spectacular Anglo-Saxon Ornament 3. The Vespasian Psalter Psalter, in Latin, with interlinear gloss in Old English Kent, 1st half of the 8th century [UK] The Earliest Narrative Initials in Western Europe 4. The Harley Golden Gospels The Four Gospels, in Latin Aachen?, Carolingian Empire, c. 800 [UK] The Gospels Written in Gold 5. The Canterbury Royal Bible Bible, in Latin (incomplete, now comprising the Four Gospels only) Canterbury, 1st quarter of the 9th century, [UK] An Early Canterbury Bible 6. The Moutier-Granval Bible Bible, in Latin Tours, 2nd quarter of the 9th century [France] Symbolic Figurative Art 7. The Lothar Psalter Psalter, in Latin Aachen, c. 842–55 [Germany] An Imperial Psalter 8. The Aethelstan or Coronation Gospels The Four Gospels, in Latin Lobbes, south of Brussels, last quarter of the 9th century, or 1st quarter of the 10th century [Belgium] A Royal Gift 9. Guest-Coutts New Testament New Testament, in Greek Constantinople, middle of 10th century [Turkey] An Illuminated New Testament from Constantinople 10. The Harley Psalter Psalter, in Latin (Psalms, incomplete) Canterbury, 1st half of the 11th century [UK] An Anglo-Saxon Masterpiece 11. The Old English Hexateuch Hexateuch (Genesis-Joshua), in Old English Canterbury, 2nd quarter of the 11th century [UK] The Earliest Illustrated Western Vernacular Bible 12. The Harley Echternach Gospels The Four Gospels, in Latin Echternach, middle of the 11th century [Luxembourg] Ottonian Imperial Style 13. The Tiberius Psalter Psalter, in Latin, imperfect, with Old English gloss Winchester, 2nd or 3rd quarter of the 11th century [UK] A Grand Christological Cycle 14. Theodore Psalter Psalter, in Greek Constantinople, 1066 [Turkey] A Byzantine Visual Commentary on the Psalms 15. The Silos Apocalypse Revelation and Beatus of Liébana’s commentary, St Jerome’s commentary on Daniel, in Latin Silos [Spain], 1091 (text) and 1109 (decoration) [Spain] A Spanish Vision of the Apocalypse 16. The Stavelot Bible Bible, in Latin Stavelot, near Liège, 1093–97 [Belgium] Monumental Art 17. The Egerton Gospel Lectionary Gospel Lectionary, in Latin Germany, c. 1100 [Germany] Illuminating the Liturgy 18. The Burney Gospels The Four Gospels, in Greek Constantinople, 10th century (script) and 2nd quarter of 12th century (portraits) [Turkey] An Imperial Tetraevangelion 19. The Psalter of Queen Melisende Psalter, in Latin Jerusalem, between 1131 and 1143 [Middle East] A Psalter for a Crusader Queen 20. The Winchester Psalter Psalter, in Latin and French with the Apostles Creed and some prayers in French Winchester, England, middle of 12th century [UK] An Illustrated Bilingual Psalter 21. The Worms Bible Bible, in Latin Frankenthal, near Worms, c. 1148 [Germany] A Romanesque Giant Bible 22. The Floreffe Bible Bible, in Latin Meuse valley, 2nd or 3rd quarter of the 12th century [Germany] Visual Biblical Exegesis 23. The Arnstein Bible Bible, in Latin Arnstein, Germany, c. 1172 [Germany] A Grand Monastic Bible 24. The Harley Greek Gospels The Four Gospels, in Greek Cyprus or Palestine, late 12th century [Middle East] A Gospels to Aid Devotion 25. Syriac Lectionary Gospel Lectionary, in Syriac Mosul, between 1216 and 1220 [Syria / Middle East] A Syrian Visualization of the Gospels 26. The Harley Bible moralisée Moralized Bible (Maccabees and the New Testament), in Latin, Paris, 2nd quarter of 13th century [France] Royal Instruction 27. Apocalypse Revelation, with extracts from the commentary of Berengaudus, in Latin, imperfect London or Westminster, c. 1260 [UK] An English Illustrated Apocalypse 28. Bolognese Bible Bible, in Latin Bologna, c. 1280–1300 [Italy] Italian Splendour 29. Gospel Lectionary of the Sainte-Chapelle Gospel Lectionary, in Latin Paris, last quarter of 13th century [France] Picturing the Gospels in Medieval Paris 30. The Queen Mary Psalter Psalter, in Latin London?, 1st quarter of 14th century [UK] Unprecedented Psalter Illustration 31. Welles Apocalypse Revelation, with commentary in Anglo-Norman French, bound with Peter of Peckham, La lumere as lais England, c. 1310 [UK] Revelation in the Vernacular 32. Holkham Bible Picture Book Bible Picture Book, with captions in Anglo-Norman French London, c. 1320–30 [UK] The Bible in Pictures 33. The St Omer Psalter Psalter, in Latin Norfolk, c. 1330 (with later additions) [UK] Glorious Marginal Imagery 34. Bible of Clement VII Bible, in Latin Naples, c. 1330–40 [Italy] A Papal Bible 35. The Gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander The Four Gospels, in Slavonic of Bulgarian character Turnovo (?), 1355–56 [Bulgaria] Slavonic Emulation of Byzantine Splendour 36. Bible historiale of Charles V Bible historiale completée moyenne: Genesis to the Apocalypse, in French Paris, 1357 [France] The Bible as History 37. Paduan Bible Picture Book Bibbia istoriata: Exodus to Joshua, in Italian Padua, c. 1390–1400 [Italy] The Old Testament in Pictures 38. King’s Biblia pauperum Biblia pauperum The Hague, c. 1395–1400 [Netherlands] The Old Testament revealed in the New 39. The Great Bible of the Kings of England Bible, in Latin London, c. 1410–13 [UK] A Late Medieval Giant Bible 40. Bible historiale of Charles of France Grande Bible historiale à prologues: Genesis to the Apocalypse Paris, c. 1420 [France] Learning Wisdom from the Bible 41. Dutch History Bible Utrecht Bible: Genesis to Esther Utrecht, c. 1440–45 [Netherlands] Seeing Salvation in the Netherlands 42. Edward IV’s Bible historiale Bible historiale: Tobit to Acts, in French Bruges, 1470 (script) and c. 1479 (illumination) [Belgium] A Bible fit for a King 43. The Gospels of Cardinal Francesco Gonzaga The Four Gospels, in Greek Rome, 1478 [Italy] A Renaissance Cardinal’s Gospel book 44. Armenian Gospels Four Gospels, in Armenian Isfahan, 1608 [Middle East] Painting the Gospels in Persia 45. Ethiopian Octateuch and Gospels Octateuch, Four Gospels and Apostolic Canons, in classical Ethiopic (Ge'ez) Gondar (?), late 17th century [Ethiopia] Reviving Former Ethiopian splendour Further Reading Index