Morgan Crusader's Bible
The Morgan Crusader Bible is probably the most extraordinary work from the book collection of King Louis IX. It is a pure picture book illustrating the events of the Old Testament in 283 high-quality miniatures. This codex is famous the world over and has had several important owners who had explanatory commentaries append the pictures in Latin, Persian, Arabic, Judeo-Persian, and Hebrew. Its miniatures resemble the stained glass and mural paintings of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, which was also commissioned by Louis IX, and dress the events in the clothing, armor, and weapons of the 13th century, making it a valuable source about contemporary life and warfare. The artfulness and masterful execution of the miniatures often contrasts with the brutal, gruesomely detailed scenes of medieval combat that they depict.
Morgan Crusader Bible
The Crusader Bible, also known as the Picture Bible of King Louis IX, known as Saint Louis, arose ca. 1250 in a Parisian art studio. It is a purely illustrated book that depicts the story of the Old Testament in a total of 283 monumentally and elaborately designed miniatures. The work begins with the Creation Story and goes up to the reign of King David. A particular focus is paid to the military events of the Testament, e.g. the doctrine of just war. The luminously colored pictures were lent a special gloss in almost every miniature by subtly applied gold. The Crusader Bible is a highpoint of the great manuscript collection of Saint Louis.
At the Behest of the King
King Louis IX, the Saint, was probably the most Christian king of France. He was a passionate crusader and set himself to the task of calling up his dependents to go to war for the conquest of the Holy Land. With his Crusader Bible, his crusading ideal was illustrated in richly detailed and intense pictures and was offered to his contemporaries as an incentive. The sequence of images was not to be disrupted by unimportant text. Only later were explanatory passages added in several languages.
An Exciting Story
Today the Crusader Bible can look back on an adventurous journey throughout the whole world. The work remained in the hands of its commissioner for 50 years after its genesis, and was brought to Louis’ relative in Naples, Charles of Anjou, ca. 1300. He allowed the picture bible to be furnished with Latin texts, which explained the biblical scenes in summary. After that all traces of the codex were lost until 300 years later when the codex resurfaced in the possession of the Bishop of Krakow, Bernhard Maciejowski. He consigned the work to a papal delegation, which was supposed to win over the Persian Shah Abbas for an alliance in the fight against the Turks. The bible was meant to be presented to him as a persuasive gift. The Shah had Persian comments added to the images and had three pages removed, which showed the resistance of Absalom against his father. The Shah probably wanted to keep these anti-royal readings a secret from his own son. From here on the history of the work is once again obscure. The Persian commentary was translated into Hebrew probably during the 17th century. In the 19th century, the valuable manuscript found itself in the possession of a Greek named Joannes Athanasiou. Sir Thomas Philipps bought it at auction and left it to his heir, who sold it in 1916 to the present owner John Pierpont Morgan.
Extraordinary Illumination
The picture book of monumental magnitude contains 283 miniatures, which are less reminiscent of book painting in their quality than they are of the stained glass and mural paintings of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Therefore the masters, among which six can be distinguished, can also be supposed to be among the designers of the chapel. This was consecrated two years before the completion of the Crusader Bible. The large format miniatures show the important wars, battles, and famous people and events of the Old Testament. Details such as clothing, armor, and weapons were contemporarily depicted in the tradition of the 13th century. It was supposed to be suggestive to the beholder that Louis IX himself was to be recognized in courageous battle. Particularly artful was the employment of gold in the most diverse variations. Luminous gold leaf alternates with subdued, matte brushed gold. Thus every page of the splendid codex becomes an individual masterpiece.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Crusader Bible
Shah Abbas Bible
Bible of Louis IX
Maciejowsky Bible
Biblia de los Cruzados
Kreuzritterbibel Ludwigs des Heiligen
Kreuzritter Bibel - Size / Format
- 92 pages / 39.0 × 29.5 cm
- Origin
- France
- Date
- Ca. 1250
- Style
- Genre
- Script
- Gothic Textura Rotunda (littera bononiensis)
- Illustrations
- 283 miniatures in total, including 92 full-page miniatures, and 181 golden initials
- Content
- Portions of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and Samuel
- Patron
- King Louis IX of France, "St. Louis" (1226–1270)
- Artist / School
- Six different illuminators
- Previous Owners
- Alfonso X, the Wise (1221–1284), King of Castile, León and Galicia
Charles of Anjou (1226–1285)
Cardinal Bernhard Maciejowski, Bishop of Cracow (1548–1608)
Abbas, Shah of Persia (1604)
Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872)
Morgan Crusader Bible
Ehud, a Clever Leader
As punishment for their sinfulness, the Israelites are made subject to King Eglon of the Moabites for 18 years. After they repent, the Lord sends them a deliverer – a clever left-handed man named Ehud. He successfully assassinates Eglon and rallies the Israelites to attack. “And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.” (Judges 3:29-30)
Morgan Crusader Bible
Saul Victorious, A Proven Leader
This is a gruesome masterpiece of the Gothic style and possibly the most famous image of medieval illumination. In 1 Samuel, an army of Ammonites under the command of King Nahash is besieging the Israelite city of Jabesh-Gilead. This scene depicts the moment when a relieving army commanded by Saul crashes into the rear of the Ammonites.
Wearing a crowned great helm and an orange tunic, Saul strikes the fleeing Nahash, cleaving his crown, and slaughter ensues as the Israelites inside the city pour out of the gates and hit the Ammonites from both sides. An archer in the tower aims at the only unharmed Ammonite and a trebuchet sends a boulder crashing into their ranks. Below, Saul is crowned and anointed by Samuel, who then celebrates the victory with sacrifices.
#1 Biblia de los Cruzados (Parchment Facsimile)
Languages: English, Spanish
(over 10,000€)
#2 Kreuzritterbibel
Languages: English, French, German
(3,000€ - 7,000€)
#3 Bibbia dei Crociati
Language: Italian
(3,000€ - 7,000€)
- 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
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Lebanon
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- Palestine
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Russia
- Serbia
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Aboca Museum
- Ajuntament de Valencia
- Akademie Verlag
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Alkuin Verlag
- Almqvist & Wiksell
- Amilcare Pizzi
- Andreas & Andreas Verlagsbuchhandlung
- Archa 90
- Archiv Verlag
- Archivi Edizioni
- Arnold Verlag
- ARS
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Azimuth Editions
- Badenia Verlag
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Benziger Verlag
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- Boydell & Brewer
- Bramante Edizioni
- Bredius Genootschap
- Brepols Publishers
- British Library
- C. Weckesser
- Caixa Catalunya
- Canesi
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Caratzas Brothers, Publishers
- Carus Verlag
- Casamassima Libri
- Chavane Verlag
- Christian Brandstätter Verlag
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- Club du Livre
- CM Editores
- Collegium Graphicum
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- Corvina
- CTHS
- D. S. Brewer
- Damon
- De Agostini/UTET
- De Nederlandsche Boekhandel
- De Schutter
- Deuschle & Stemmle
- Deutscher Verlag für Kunstwissenschaft
- DIAMM
- Droz
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Ediclube
- Edições Inapa
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Deuschle
- Edition Georg Popp
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Éditions de l'Oiseau Lyre
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Casariego
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Editrice Antenore
- Editrice Velar
- Edizioni Edison
- Egeria, S.L.
- Eikon Editores
- Electa
- Emery Walker Limited
- Enciclopèdia Catalana
- Eos-Verlag
- Ephesus Publishing
- Ernst Battenberg
- Eugrammia Press
- Extraordinary Editions
- Fackelverlag
- Facsimila Art & Edition
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Feuermann Verlag
- Folger Shakespeare Library
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Friedrich Wittig Verlag
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- G. Braziller
- Gabriele Mazzotta Editore
- Gebr. Mann Verlag
- Gesellschaft für graphische Industrie
- Getty Research Institute
- Giovanni Domenico de Rossi
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Guido Pressler
- Guillermo Blazquez
- Gustav Kiepenheuer
- H. N. Abrams
- Harrassowitz
- Helikon
- Hendrickson Publishers
- Henning Oppermann
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hoepli
- Holbein-Verlag
- Hortus Deliciarum
- Houghton Library
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- ILte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Ellenico di Studi Bizantini e Postbizantini
- Istituto Geografico De Agostini
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Italarte Art Establishments
- J. Thorbecke
- Jan Thorbecke Verlag
- Johnson Reprint Corporation
- Josef Stocker
- Josef Stocker-Schmid
- Jugoslavija
- Karl W. Hiersemann
- Kasper Straube
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- Kindler Verlag / Coron Verlag
- Kodansha International Ltd.
- Konrad Kölbl Verlag
- Kurt Wolff Verlag
- La Liberia dello Stato
- La Linea Editrice
- La Meta Editore
- Lambert Schneider
- Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg
- Leo S. Olschki
- Les Incunables
- Library of Congress
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lichtdruck
- Lito Immagine Editore
- Lumen Artis
- Lund Humphries
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Maison des Sciences de l'homme et de la société de Poitiers
- Manuscriptum
- Martinus Nijhoff
- Maruzen-Yushodo Co. Ltd.
- MASA
- McGraw-Hill
- Militos
- Millennium Liber
- Müller & Schindler
- Nahar and Steimatzky
- National Library of Wales
- Neri Pozza
- Nova Charta
- Oceanum Verlag
- Odeon
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Oxford University Press
- Pageant Books
- Parzellers Buchverlag
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- Pattloch Verlag
- PIAF
- Pieper Verlag
- 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
- Recht-Verlag
- Reichert Verlag
- Reichsdruckerei
- 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
- Société des Bibliophiles & Iconophiles de Belgique
- Soncin Publishing
- Sorli Ediciones
- Stainer and Bell
- Studer
- Styria Verlag
- Sumptibus Pragopress
- Szegedi Tudomànyegyetem
- Taberna Libraria
- Tarshish Books
- Taschen
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- Thames and Hudson
- 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
- TREC Publishing House
- TRI Publishing Co.
- Trident Editore
- Typis Regiae Officinae Polygraphicae
- Union Verlag Berlin
- Universidad de Granada
- University of California Press
- University of Chicago Press
- Urs Graf
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- VCH, Acta Humaniora
- VDI Verlag
- VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik
- Verlag Anton Pustet / Andreas Verlag
- Verlag der Münchner Drucke
- Verlag für Regionalgeschichte
- Verlag Styria
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- W. Turnowsky
- Waanders Printers
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft
- Wydawnictwo Dolnoslaskie
- Xuntanza Editorial
- Zakład Narodowy
- Zollikofer AG