Vatican Biblia Pauperum

Vatican Biblia Pauperum

This extraordinary Biblia Pauperum, which depicts the events of the Old and New Testaments in 42 picturesque miniatures, is stored today in the Vatican Library. This codex was commissioned in the 15th century by Friedrich von Hohenlohe the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. The “Paupers’ Bible” consists of two parts, of which the first part was created in Northern Hesse in the second quarter of the 15th century. The second part of the Bible arose between 1349 and 1400 in Bamberg. Consisting of 66 pages in all, the manuscript shows important scenes from the Bible in the finest Gothic book art.

What is a Paupers’ Bible?

A medieval Paupers’ Bible, Biblia Pauperum in Latin, is a collection of picked scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Normally, a Paupers’ Bible shows a visual depiction of one of the events in the life of Jesus Christ from the New Testament on every page. These scenes were framed mostly by four images that showed either people or scenes from the Old Testament. The Old Testament scenes were arranged around the central depiction from the New Testament and were thus set in relation to one another. The Bible stories were depicted in a purposeful, salvation-historical nexus. Pauper’s Bibles were less expensive than complete Bible codices, hence the term.

A Pleasingly Simple Style

The Bamberg Paupers’ Bible originates from the aim to familiarize the community with the Bible through vivid pictures. The majority of the population in the Middle Ages could neither read nor write. The book painter, who illuminated the work, designed his miniatures to be easily understandable and appealing. He chose luminous colors for his figures and positioned the pictures of the Old and New Testaments so that the interrelated stories were easily understood. The miniatures were supported by clarifying text passages, which were adorned with colored initials.