Gutenberg's Bible - The 42 Lined Bible (Codex Berlin)
A milestone in the history of book art: one of the most valuable early prints of the Bible printed by Johannes Gutenberg in his workshop in Mainz. The inventor of modern letterpress printing produced a short print-run of bibles as a testimony to this new and groundbreaking technology. Even at the time of their creation, the Bibles were very expensive and could only be acquired by extremely wealthy collectors. Once purchased, the valuable prints could then be individually decorated by artists according to their own wishes, which in turn yielded some precious unique specimens. The Berlin State Library owns one of these extremely rare copies of the Gutenberg Bible, which is one of the most valuable books in the collection and one of the most creatively successful prints of the 15th century. Colourful, imaginative marginal illuminations and gilded decorative initials, together with the beautifully coloured miniatures, adorn this extraordinary work. The miniatures, as well as the other book decoration, are based on great models of book illumination and are attributed to the so-called Pfauenwerkstatt, a Leipzig book-painting workshop.
Gutenberg's Bible - The 42 Lined Bible
A milestone in the history of book art: one of the most valuable early printings of the Bible, which Johannes Gutenberg printed in his Mainz workshop. The inventor of book printing produced a short print-run of bibles as a testimony to this new and groundbreaking technology. These valuable prints could be individually decorated by artists according to the wishes of their respective buyers, which in turn yielded some precious unique specimens. One of these precious and exceedingly rare specimens of the Gutenberg Bible is stored in the Berlin State Library and counts among the most precious books of the collection!
A True Rarity in Outstanding Quality
“One of the earliest testimonies of the art of printing,” “one of the most artistically accomplished prints of the 15th century,” and other superlatives are only a few of the catchphrases that are associated with this book. Johannes Gutenberg is considered to be the inventor of modern book printing with moveable metal type and the printing press. In 1435, as the first evidence of his invention, he produced a short print-run of only 45 vellum and 135 paper editions of the Bible in his Mainz workshop. The 42-lined bible in Berlin is considered to be the most beautiful specimen of these Gutenberg bibles.
Printed and Illuminated
The printed Gutenberg Bible was already very expensive at the time of its creations was a collector’s piece for only the wealthiest buyers. These printed books could subsequently be put into the hands of artist, who then furnished them according to individual wishes. In this way, some wonderfully unique specimens furnished with bright colors and splendid gold came into being. Lovingly-produced illustrations, both entertaining and suitable, adorn these bibles.
A Gem of the Berlin Collection
The Berlin specimen of the Gutenberg Bible contains roughly 100 gorgeously colored miniatures. These are attributed to the so-called Pfauenwerkstatt or “peacock workshop”, an illuminator’s studio that was active in Leipzig during the mid–15th century. Additionally, one finds initials, flowering tendrils, embellishing ornamentation, and small animals – e.g. a splendid peacock, a cheeky sparrow, and buzzing dragonflies. The book and its decoration are oriented on the great models of illumination! This precious early print of the historic masterpiece of Johannes Gutenberg combines two special features in this way: the outstanding significance as an incunabula from the early period of book printing between 1450 and 1500, and the reminder of its marriage with illumination. It is no wonder that the Gutenberg Bible is considered to be one of the most important pieces of the Berlin collection!
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Gutenberg Bible
Gutenberg's 42-line Bible B42
42-zeilige Gutenberg-Bibel
Gutenberg B-42
Gutenberg Bibel - Size / Format
- 2 volumes - 1,282 pages / 43.5 × 31.0 cm
- Origin
- Germany
- Date
- Around 1453
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- Ca 100 colored miniatures
- Content
- Old and New Testament
- Artist / School
- Johannes Gutenberg (ca. 1400 – February 3rd 1468) (printer)
Gutenberg's Bible - The 42 Lined Bible (Codex Berlin)
“P” Initial: St. Jerome and Bishop Paulinus
This splendid historiated initial with acanthus leaves and glimmering gold background shows St. Jerome presenting his famous Epistle 53 to Bishop Paulinus of Nola, which served as the preface to the Gutenberg Bible. Medieval Bibles often contained prologues, either preceding the Bible as a whole or an individual book, which were usually authored by St. Jerome. Their purpose was to both guide the reader and also explain the choices made by Jerome, who preferred Hebrew sources over Greek ones.

Gutenberg's Bible - The 42 Lined Bible (Codex Berlin)
Scenes from Creation
The Book of Genesis opens with this masterful page from the Pfauenwerkstatt or “peacock workshop”, which is alluded to by the splendid peacock resting on the tip of a tendril in the lower right corner. He is accompanied by birds, insects, and flowers, including some that look like product of the artists’ creativity, all presented with radiant colors and glimmering gold leaf.
The left margin consists of six medallion miniatures depicting Creation, beginning with the formless void at the top and concluding with Eve emerging from Adam’s side as he sleeps. They are set in a simple green frame surrounding a blue field with an image of God giving the sign of benediction. This is a wonderful example of the custom adornment that was added to Gutenberg’s creation.

#1 Gutenberg-Bibel - 42zeilige Bibel
Language: German
#2 Biblia Sacra
#3 Gutenberg's Bible - The 42 Lined Bible (Fulda Cover)
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Afghanistan
- Armenia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- France
- Germany
- Hungary
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Serbia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Aboca Museum
- Akademie Verlag
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Alkuin Verlag
- Almqvist & Wiksell
- ARS
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Azimuth Editions
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- Boydell & Brewer
- Brepols Publishers
- British Library
- C. Weckesser
- Caixa Catalunya
- Canesi
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Caratzas Brothers, Publishers
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collegium Graphicum
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- CTHS
- D. S. Brewer
- De Agostini/UTET
- De Schutter
- Deuschle & Stemmle
- Deutscher Verlag für Kunstwissenschaft
- DIAMM
- Droz
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Éditions de l'Oiseau Lyre
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Casariego
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Editrice Antenore
- Edizioni Edison
- Egeria, S.L.
- Eikon Editores
- Electa
- Eos-Verlag
- ET&B
- Eugrammia Press
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- G. Braziller
- Gebr. Mann Verlag
- Giovanni Domenico de Rossi
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Guido Pressler
- Guillermo Blazquez
- Helikon
- Henning Oppermann
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hoepli
- Houghton Library
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- ILte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Instituto de Estudios Altoaragoneses
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- J. Thorbecke
- Jugoslavija
- Karl W. Hiersemann
- Kasper Straube
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- Kurt Wolff Verlag
- La Liberia dello Stato
- La Linea Editrice
- La Meta Editore
- Lambert Schneider
- Leo S. Olschki
- Les Incunables
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lichtdruck
- Lumen Artis
- Lund Humphries
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Maison des Sciences de l'homme et de la société de Poitiers
- Manuscriptum
- Maruzen-Yushodo Co. Ltd.
- MASA
- McGraw-Hill
- Militos
- Millennium Liber
- Müller & Schindler
- National Library of Wales
- Nova Charta
- Odeon
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Oxford University Press
- Parzellers Buchverlag
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Plon-Nourrit et cie
- Prestel Verlag
- Princeton University Press
- Prisma Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Propyläen Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Riehn & Reusch
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Rosenkilde and Bagger
- Roxburghe Club
- Salerno Editrice
- Sarajevo Svjetlost
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scolar Press
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- SISMEL - Edizioni del Galluzzo
- Sociedad Mexicana de Antropología
- Stainer and Bell
- Styria Verlag
- Sumptibus Pragopress
- Szegedi Tudomànyegyetem
- Tarshish Books
- Taschen
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- The Marquess of Normanby
- The Richard III and Yorkist History Trust
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Typis Regiae Officinae Polygraphicae
- University of California Press
- University of Chicago Press
- Urs Graf
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- VCH, Acta Humaniora
- VDI Verlag
- Verlag Styria
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Xuntanza Editorial
- Zollikofer AG