1210 Fragment of Crusader Bible (Very Rare) | Hand Painted: Paris | Measures: 11" x 6"

DESCRIPTION:

One of the masterpieces of French Gothic illumination, the Morgan Bible is an impressive reminder of the importance of biblical history for the ideology of the crusade. Also known as the Maciejowki Bible, the Shah 'Abbas Bible, the Morgan Crusader Bible, and the Morgan Picture Bible, this sumptuous picture book was created in a Parisian workshop for the Capetian king Louis IX in the decade around the Seventh Crusade. Its forty-six leaves, fully illuminated on the recto and verso, feature a vividly expressive Old Testament cycle enriched with abundant use of shimmering gold and costly ultramarine.

The manuscript contains over 380 scenes. It is the work of at least six different artists. The book consists of paintings of events from Hebrew scripture but are given a setting in the customs and costumes of thirteenth-century France, concentrating on stories of kings, especially David.