Wenceslas Bible
Almost 150 years before Martin Luther (1483–1546) presented his translation of the Bible, King Wenceslas IV (1361–1419) ordered the creation of a truly mammoth work in the history of the biblical text: he summoned to his court in Prague the best illuminators in Europe, who created a masterpiece of gigantic proportions and great attention to detail for him between 1390 and 1400: 607 calves gave their skins for the total of 2,400 pages, on which the two-column text, 646 miniatures, and countless lovingly designed drolleries harmoniously share space. The deposition of Wenceslas as German king in 1400 prevented the completion of the large-scale project, despite later efforts to complete it, so that the New Testament is still missing today. Yet even in its present form, the reader will always find fascinating details: Wenceslas' favorite animal, the kingfisher, Wenceslas' knot, and a graceful woman with a bath tub – might a young lover have stood behind her?
Wenceslas Bible
Almost 150 years before Luther’s translation of the Bible was first published, one of the most reputed schools of illumination in Prague produced the first German deluxe Bible manuscript. The Wenceslas Bible, with its 646 miniatures and rich, frequently symbolical and narrative marginal decoration, was written at the behest of King Wenceslas I of Bohemia between 1390 and 1400. Words are insufficient to describe the elaborate, extremely lavish decoration of this luxury Bible. Wenceslas summoned the best illuminators of Europe to his court in Prague where they created this unique manuscript. Unfortunately, the artists have all remained anonymous.
The First Deluxe Bible Manuscript in German
A chef-d’œuvre of Wenceslas’ workshop and a major achievement of European illumination, the Wenceslas Bible had only raised the interest of art historians until recently. Its distinction as a bibliophilic gem of the first order should, however, not make us forget that with more than 2,400 pages, it also constitutes a highly important, if not the most important and finest documentation of pre-Reformation Bible translation. Of the three volumes originally planned (two tomes for the Old and one for the New Testament) only the two of the Old Testament were executed. By the 18th century the manuscript had grown to enormous size and filled six volumes, when it found its way from the Bohemian court to that of the Habsburg dynasty. Today, the giant-format books are kept in the Austrian National Library.
The Fascinating World of Drolleries
The marginal decorations of the Wenceslas Bible are almost as fascinating as its miniatures. These drolleries are characterized by an unmistakable sense of humor. Among the main protagonists, one finds a girl dressed in a short, shirt-like garment whose attributes – a bucket and a sponge – identify her as a bathing maiden. She is accompanied by a male figure, probably King Wenceslas himself, who frequently appears captured in the letters W and E. In addition, countless allegorical creatures, such as the wild man or the kingfisher, roam throughout the book.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Wenzelsbibel
Bibel des Königs Wenzel
Wenzel Bible - Size / Format
- 2,352 pages / 53.0 × 36.5 cm
- Origin
- Czech Republic
- Date
- 1389–1400
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 646 large miniatures, countless illuminated borders and initials
- Patron
- Wenceslas IV (1361–1419), King of Bohemia and emperor
Wenceslas Bible
Finding of Moses
This beautiful Gothic miniature depicts how Moses’ mother saved him from the slaughter of male Hebrew children that had been ordered by Pharaoh. “Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children’.” (Ex. 2:5-6)

Wenceslas Bible
Book of Genesis: 7 Days of Creation
This kaleidoscope of illumination is a wonderful testament to the artistic décor of this manuscript, one of the greatest works of medieval book art. It is an exemplary page of Gothic illumination consisting of bright hues of red, blue, green, and gold leaf. Seven medallion miniatures depict the beginning of Genesis, wherein the creation of the world is recounted.
As is true with the rest of the manuscript, the marginalia of this page is as artistically refined as the miniature itself. The escutcheons of King Wenceslas IV, who commissioned the manuscript, can be seen, as well as a shield that has been scrapped. There are also numerous crowns, birds, human figures, angels, grotesques, and other details embedded into the gorgeous flowering tendrils.

#1 Wenzelsbibel (Full Leather Edition)
Language: German
2 commentary volumes by G. Schmidt (Vienna), H. Heger (Vienna), I. Hlavácek (Prague). F. Unterkircher (Vienna).
Binding: leather. All folios are cut according to the original size and sewn according to the original gathering.
#2 Wenzelsbibel (Half Leather Edtion)
Language: German
2 commentary volumes by G. Schmidt (Vienna), H. Heger (Vienna), I. Hlavácek (Prague). F. Unterkircher (Vienna).
Binding: leather. All folios are cut according to the original size and sewn according to the original gathering.
#3 Wenzelsbibel (1-Volume-Edition)
Language: German
2 commentary volumes by G. Schmidt (Vienna), H. Heger (Vienna), I. Hlavácek (Prague). F. Unterkircher (Vienna).
Binding: leather. All folios are cut according to the original size and sewn according to the original gathering.
#4 Die Wenzelsbibel: Genesis und Exodus (Volume 1)
#5 Die Wenzelsbibel: Leviticus und Numeri (Volume 2)
#6 Die Wenzelsbibel: Deutoronomium und Josua (Volume 3)
#7 Die Wenzelsbibel: Richter, Ruth und Samuel I (Volume 4)
#8 Die Wenzelsbibel: Samuel II und Könige I (Volume 5)
#9 Die Wenzelsbibel: Könige II und Chronik I (Volume 6)
#10 Die Wenzelsbibel: Chronik II, Esra I und Esra II (Volume 7)
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