The Bible In Paintings, #63: PAINTED BIBLES! – 3rd ILLUMINATED INTERLUDE, HODGEPODGE

Bing Images ^ | c. 2200 BC -- c. 95 AD | Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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PAINTED BIBLES
ROUND-UP!!!

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In episode #61 we viewed the 1,200-year-old world-famous Book of Kells, and then in #62 we saw the even older Landisfarne Gospels. Today we wrap up our little illuminations interlude with a look at a hodgepodge of images showing a variety of decorated Bibles from all over. We’ll identify those we can, but we can enjoy the anonymous examples, too.

Just out of curiosity: if your personal Bible were large and beautifully, lavishly decorated with impossibly intricate designs, would you read it:

….* with more FREQUENCY?
……* with more INTEREST?
……..* with more ENERGY?
……….* with more ENTHUSIASM?
…………* with more CURIOSITY?
…………..* with more UNDERSTANDING?
…………….* with more OPENNESS?
………………* with more VULNERABILITY?
………………..* with more OBEDIENCE?
…………….......* with more FAITH?
…………………..* with more LOVE?
…………………......* with more JOY?

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The Rice Psalter

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”
14th Century, Katholieke Universiteit,
Leuven, Belgium

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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“The Royal Anjou Bible”

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Initial Letter L of Genesis – Wenceslas Bible, c.1389

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“King David Kneeling Before God”
Bible of Matthias Corvinus, c.1490

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“God As Creator” – Bible Moralisee, c.1220

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Book of Hours of the Marshal of Boucicaut, c.1405-1408

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Introduction to Ecclesiastes 1
15th Century Illuminated Bible

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Vergilius Romanus, 5th Century

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“1 Samuel 15” – Quedlinburg Itala fragment,
oldest surviving illustrated biblical manuscript, c.420

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“Luke” – St. Augustine Gospels, 6th Century

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11 Passion Scenes plus Lazarus’ Raising
St. Augustine Gospels
My poor guesses—please add yours as a reply:
Row 1 Left: Jesus entering Jerusalem; R1M: Last Supper; R1R: Garden—upper, Jesus praying; lower, waking the disciples
Row 2 L: Lazarus coming forth; R2M: Jesus washing apostles’ feet; R2R: Judas’ kiss?
Row 3 L: ???Mount of Transfiguration???; R3M ???; R3R ???
Row 4 L: Pilate or Herod???; R4M ???; R4R Carrying the cross

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“Christ before Pilate”
Rossano Gospels, 6th Century

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“ Jesus’ Triumphal Entry” – Rossano Gospels

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“The Gospel of Mark” – Book of Durrow, c.650

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“Christ in Majesty, with the Four Evangelists and
their symbols, at the start of the New Testament”
Codex Amiatinus, c.700

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“Moses before Pharaoh”
Syriac Bible of Paris, c.600

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“Christ in Majesty” – Lorsch Gospels, c.800

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Gold Binding added in 1499 to the Ada Gospels, c.800

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The Ada Gospels, c.800

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King David with his musicians
start of Psalm 27, Vespasian Psalter, c.750

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“The Evangelists and John’s Gospel”
Black Hours of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, c.1470

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“Incipit page of St John's Gospel”
Arnstein Bible, 1172

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,

SPECIAL HONORS
EDITION:
GREATEST COMMENTS!

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the sites
which yielded most of the works above, here are the links:

"Illuminated Bibles"
"Wikipedia List of Illuminated Manuscripts"

Where no attribution appears below a work, the artist's name is unknown

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 paintings depicting Bible scenes

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Finally, here are links to the
PREVIOUS 62 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles, to assist you in finding those which interest you

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

Quality
The Bible is my focus, not the art: this is The Bible in Paintings, not “Great Paintings” nor even “Good Paintings.” So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don’t need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby’s. They only need to successfully illustrate some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm asking the Holy Spirit to guide. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

Pacing
The pace may seem glacial to those eager to see their favorite events. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence; if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic. But where there is no art, that Bible passage goes untold here. The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing. Remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

I’m just having fun—and I hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

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[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" to give God glory, as many of these artists have done, and for my own amusement and learning; and I thought others might enjoy it and be blessed by it, too. My plan is to proceed methodically from left-to right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is coming soon. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year’s viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: “Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast.” Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I’ve ever spent (I don’t recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 42 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

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F o r . . y o u r

CONSIDERATION

ENJOYMENT

& BLESSING

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[Hebrews 11:6]

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[TheConservativeParty]

Thank you. Very beautiful and interesting 😊

[left that other site]

I love this stuff.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Aren’t they? I’ve long been intrigued by illuminations without ever looking into them, but “xp38” spurred this idea and now we all enjoy them.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I do, too. Wish I had enough for a fourth installment.

[Bookshelf]

The second panel of the Arnstein Bible indicates a very early effort to depict art in three dimensions that only had its fruition with the Start of the Renaissance two centuries later. Amazing.

[Hebrews 11:6]

"second" panel? You mean the very bottom image and those dormers? Anyway, you articulate well the realism-ineptitude of so many early artists we see in this series.

I remember vividly my astonishment at being taught the principles of perspective, and exercising them, in my eighth grade Mechanical Drafting class--the world has never looked the same since. As much as anything, it was a brilliant early lesson to me on how to derive fundamental understanding about a subject and then apply it to the world around me.