02Illuminated_Gutenberg.PDF
MICHAEL OLMERT, THE SMITHSONIAN BOOK OF BOOKS
“The Bible’s power and influenceover the past four millennia areincalculable. Both its Testamentshave been revered as sacredscripture, as literature, as magic,as the ultimate self-help books.”
C. 680Book of Durrow, opening page, the Gospel of Saint Mark
C. 800Coronation Gospels, opening pages of Saint Mark’s Gospel
A copyist writing on a sheet of parchment
St. Jerome learning to write on parchment
1180Gospels of Henry the Lion, cover
C. 1400Book with space hollowed out for owner’s spectacles
C. 1400Collection of French and Italian love songs
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, the Chi-Rho page
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, canon table of the four Gospels
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, symbols for the authors of the four Gospels
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, beginning of the summaries of Matthew
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, St. John the Evangelist
ATTRIBUTED TO SAINT COLUMBA C. 794 – 806Book of Kells, the genealogy of Christ page
C. 698The Lindisfarne Gospels, initial page of the Gospel of Matthew
C. 698Lindisfarne Gospels, carpet page facing the opening of Saint Matthew
C. 800Codex Aureus, stolen by Vikings and ransomed back in 880
C. 1300Illuminated Qur’ân – text is written in Rayhani and Kufic
C. EARLY 1200SMaimonides’ A Guide to the Perplexed
945Moalia in lob, commemorative labyrinth
1047Beatus of Fernando and Sancha, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
1047Beatus of Fernando and Sancha, the fourth angel
1265Douce Apocalypse, multitude worshipping God
C. EARLY 1300SOrmesby Psalter
C. LATE 1200SLiber regimenti acutorum, medical text
1410The Canterbury Tales
WILLIAM OF DEVON C. 1200SBible
C. 1400Jack of Diamonds, woodblock-printed playing card
C. 1400Jack of Spades, woodblock-printed playing card
1466Ars Moriendi, “the art of dying”
c. 1394 – 1468
Johann Gutenberg
Mainz, Germany
Johann Gutenberg
Gutenberg’s workshopReproduction in the Gutenberg Museum, Germany
JOHANN GUTENBERG 1450Gothic moveable type
Gutenberg’s system for casting type
Type mold
Type mold
Type moldPunch
Matrix
Printing press
JOHANN GUTENBERG C. 1454Letters of Indulgence
Jan Fust and Johann Gutenberg
JOHANN GUTENBERG 1450-55The Gutenberg Bible
JOHANN GUTENBERG 1450-55Pages from the Gutenberg Bible
JOHANN GUTENBERG 1450 – 55Gutenberg Bible detail
JOHANN GUTENBERG 1450 – 55Gutenberg Bible detail
JAN FUST AND PETER SCHOEFFER 1457Page detail from Psalter in Latin
JAN FUST AND PETER SCHOEFFER 1457Colophon and trademark from Psalter in Latin
JAN FUST AND PETER SCHOEFFER 1459Page from Rationale divinorum officiorum
1468Gutenberg is back in business
Statue of GutenbergMainz, Germany
