Opened to the beginning of the Book of Daniel, this Gutenberg Bible, printed on vellum or sheepskin, is one of three owned by the Morgan Library. The goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg (1395?-1468?) developed the technology of movable type. It allowed for the production of books in large quantities and in a fashion faster than that of the scribes who reproduced their texts by hand. The elaborate border decorations of this volume were indeed executed manually by illuminators whose style is similar to that of fifteenth-century artists who worked in Bruges.
To read the full review of Masterworks from the Morgan and see further images not displayed here, please see the Museum and Special Exhibition Review: Expanded Morgan Library Reopened with Masterworks on Display.
To read the full review of Masterworks from the Morgan and see further images not displayed here, please see the Museum and Special Exhibition Review: Expanded Morgan Library Reopened with Masterworks on Display.