Wenceslas Bible
| Wenceslas Bible | |
|---|---|
Maccabees missing) | |
| Illumination(s) | 654 miniatures |
The Wenceslas Bible
Historical context
The Wenceslas Bible contains the text of one of the earliest
Vulgata was commissioned by the wealthy burgher of Prague Martin Rotlev about 1375–1380.[1]
Although Wenceslas' father Emperor Charles IV forbade Bible translations from Latin into vernacular languages as heresy in 1369,[citation needed] king Wenceslas with his second wife Sophia disrespected his father's order by their patronage of this spectacular edition of the new German Bible translation. Their own patronage confirms an inscription in the manuscript. It indicates the close relationship between the Bohemian royal court and the nascent Bohemian Reformation.[3]
The Wenceslas Bible was never completed. The
Books of Maccabees are lacking from the Old Testament and the New Testament was not even begun. The Bible contains 654 miniatures and initials; some were only scratched. The scribe left free spaces for more than 900 other illustrations. If the Bible were completed, it would have comprised about 1,800 leaves with circa 2,000 illuminations and would accordingly have surpassed all other medieval manuscripts in length, dimensions and wealth of artistic ornament.[1]
Gallery
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Kingfisher – the personal emblem of Wenceslas IV -
Construction of the Tower of Babel -
Creation of Eve -
Female bath attendants washing King Wenceslas
References
- ^ ISBN 9780300111385.
- ^ "The Wenceslas Bible – Complete Edition". www.adeva.com. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt Graz. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ISBN 9780300111385.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bible of Wenceslaus IV..
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