A guide to a godly life: 264 finely painted miniatures of the Old and New Testaments as well as ancient mythology
Speculum Humanae Salvationis
Vienna (Austria) — 1432

Speculum Humanae Salvationis
Vienna (Austria) — 1432
The only *Mirror of Human Salvation* to survive in Spain arose in Austria ca. 1432
264 fine, gold-accented paintings illustrate the tales from the Bible and ancient mythology
The figures are depicted in late medieval costume in this guide for Christians in Europe to a good, godly life
Speculum Humanae Salvationis
- Way to Human Salvation
- Mirror of Human Salvation
- Liber Laicorum
- Speculum humanae salvationis: primera parte del ms. Vit. 25-7 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid
- Heilsspiegel
Short Description
The only Mirror of Human Salvation to survive in Spain: the impressive Speculum Humanae Salvationis of the Spanish National Library. This outstanding specimen of the beloved and influential Mirror of Human Salvation arose ca. 1432 in either Vienna or Innsbruck and is lavishly decorated with 264 miniatures. These fine, gold-accented paintings illustrate the tales of the Old and New Testaments together with the themes of ancient mythology.
Speculum Humanae Salvationis
The famous Speculum Humanae Salvationis, also known as the Mirror of Human Salvation or Liber Laicorum, is an influential work of medieval faith. The text, composed at the beginning of the 14th century, was the guide to a good, godly for Christians in Europe for over 300 years. The tales of the New and Old Testaments were united for faithful Christians. This text was widespread across Europe in countless forms. Having said this, only a single illustrated codex of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis has survived on the Iberian Peninsula.
North Alpine Miniature Painting in Spain
This unique manuscript of the Biblioteca Nacional de España in Madrid is stored under the shelf mark ms. Vit 25–7. The manuscript did not, however, originate in Spain, but rather in modern Austria, namely in Vienna or Innsbruck in the year 1432. The 68 parchment pages of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis are lavishly illustrated with more than 250 gorgeously colored miniatures. These spread out in a row on the upper margin of each page as a Frieze above the Latin text in two columns. An outstanding example of German miniature painting at the time!
The Fusion of Two Worlds
The miniatures present the biblical stories completely in the raiment of the Middle Ages. Knights and warriors in chainmail and suits of armor, typical 15th century garments, an unambiguously medieval-style crown, and numerous architectural elements with Gothic forms characterize this unusual impression. Thus, the beholder encounters saints in the shape of noble ladies and biblical events in front of medieval backdrops. Elegant, graceful figures in flowing robes people the fascinatingly arranged scenes. Numerous details highlighted in gold crown the high-quality picture cycle and lend the pages of the manuscript a glimmering charm.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Way to Human Salvation
Mirror of Human Salvation
Liber Laicorum
Speculum humanae salvationis: primera parte del ms. Vit. 25-7 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid
Heilsspiegel - Size / Format
- 68 pages / 36.0 x 26.0 cm
- Origin
- Vienna (Austria)
- Date
- 1432
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 264 miniatures
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Speculum Humanae Salvationis“
Speculum Humanae Salvationis
- Publisher
- Edilan – Madrid, 1997
- Limited Edition
- 1000 copies
- Binding
- Full leather
- Commentary
-
1 volume (307 pages) by Teresa Pérez Higuera, Albert G. Hauf i Valls and Agustín Santiago Luque
- More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Matching Works
Albrecht Dürer - Small Xilographic Passion - Nuremberg, 1511
Furnished with 36 woodcuts: one of Albrecht Dürer's most successful works in one of the most popular Passion texts of all time
Experience MoreGuta-Sintram Codex
Augustinian rules, medicine, and prayers: the result of an extraordinary collaboration between a canoness and a canon
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Gothic
Gothic illumination is some of the most spectacular and iconic imagery of medieval art and first emerged in Northern...Experience more15th Century
Come and explore an age of stark contrasts as Europe comes back from the brink: calamities like the Fall of...Experience more
- 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
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Popyläen Verlag
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)
- Yushodo