Oxford Bible Pictures

The Oxford Bible Pictures

The countless famous and splendid masterworks of medieval illuminated manuscripts often originate from writers whose names are unfortunately no longer known to us today. An exception being the Cycle of the Oxford Bible Pictures, a collection of valuable Gothic miniature, composed by the world famous master William de Braille from Oxford. This work is deemed to be the high point of his artistic creativity. On 31 pages, scenes from the life of Jesus Christ are depicted in expressive imagery, the narrative power of which is enhanced through the employment of subtly wrought gold.

William de Braille catered for Appearance

The private demand for devotional books increased in the 13th century. This identifiable trend indicates that the manuscript of the Oxford Bible Pictures, which originates from this time, was commissioned by a private benefactor from the lay nobility. The anonymous commissioner of the work must have been an immeasurably wealthy person, because the master William de Brailles appears to have had no limits for the composition of his artwork. Thus, he furnished his picture cycle luxuriously with burnished gold leaf, some of which remains in splendid condition to this day because of his discriminating workmanship. This exceptionality makes the codex the most valuable work of de Braille.

A Work with a Thrilling History

It cannot be said with certainty in whose possession the Oxford Bible Pictures existed after its making and to what extent it exactly existed. In the 19th century, a Parisian antiquarian acquired the 31 pages, from which he sold seven to the Wildenstein Collection, which in turn gave these to the Musée Marmottan in Paris. The remaining 24 pages were retained by the antiquarian and were bound in a red velvet binding. A two-sided ivory plate was set in the front cover, which is unique in the history of Gothic manuscript book art. At long last the American Henry Walters acquired the work for his art museum in Baltimore, where it resides to this day.

A New Artistic Highpoint

William de Brailles is not considered to be one of the most renowned Gothic writers and illuminators without reason. With his Bible Pictures, he created imaginative and original miniatures that were exactly in keeping with the time and sometimes contained satirical elements. The pictures abound with liveliness and plasticity. De Braille provided the vestments of his paintings with black and white outlines, he built his scenes realistically and sojourned an exciting gold leaf background, whereby he lent his pictures a dreamlike quality. Moreover, the gold leaf background was decorated in various stages, which was unique for Gothic book art. The gold surfaces were embossed with fine patterns of diamonds, dots, or imbricate semicircles using special tools and thus contribute a jutting narrative power to the pictures.

The Mysterious Ivory Plate

A further element that contributed to the fame of the Bible Pictures is the delicately cut ivory plate in the front cover of the book, which was manufactured in Germany in the 14th century. The fragile panel is cut on both sides and shows in astounding plasticity Christ’s birth on the front and his crucifixion on the back. At some points it is so finely cut that rays of light come through. Neither the exact function nor the creator of this completely unique work of art can be said for sure. This mystery only increases the allure that the Oxford Bible Pictures manuscript possesses for its beholders even today.