artnet.com: Resource Library: Bible of Borso d’Este

Services | The Grove Dictionary of Art


	Bible of Borso d’Este. Italian illuminated manuscript, made in Ferrara between 1455 and 1461. The manuscript (Modena, Bib. Estense, MS. V.G. 12–13, lat. 422–3) consists of two full-folio volumes of 311 and 293 leaves respectively and contains more than 1000 individual illuminations; it has been termed an encylopedia of 15th-century Ferrarese illumination. The text is written in two columns in a fine Renaissance hand by the Bolognese scribe Pietro Paolo Marone. The contract for illumination of the Bible was given to TADDEO CRIVELLI and Franco dei Russi in 1455. Two rates of payment were specified, one for normal pages and one for ‘principii’ or incipits. The contract, known from two 18th-century copies, also stipulated that the incipits should be ‘as magnificent as the manuscript deserves’, a phrase that seems to reflect the aesthetic ambitions of the patron, Borso d’Este. On every page of the manuscript is at least one figurative illumination as well as dense border decorations. The incipits for each book of the Bible are much more elaborately illuminated (see fig.), with larger and more numerous miniatures. At the beginning of the project Taddeo and Franco were lent a French Bible, probably the Bible of Niccolò III d’Este (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MS. Barb. lat. 613; see BELBELLO DA PAVIA). This may have been to provide a standard of magnificence that the illuminators were expected to emulate. At least five different hands can be discerned in the Borso Bible. This is borne out by the documents, which indicate that both the principal illuminators found it necessary to employ assistants and/or to subcontract individual gatherings. In addition to Crivelli and dei Russi, Marco dell’Avogaro, Giorgio d’Alemagna, Malatesta Romano and several other minor artists worked on the project. The manuscript was completed in 1461. The cost of the illuminations alone came to almost 5000 lire, a staggering sum.
	There are more than 45,000 articles in The Grove Dictionary of Art. To access the rest of this article, including the bibliography, subscribe to www.groveart.com. To find out more about this subject, click on a related article below and subscribe to www.groveart.com
	Bibles Bible Bible, §I, 1: Christian manuscript Bible, §I: Christian Bible, §I, 2: Christian printed Bible, §I, 3: Christian, Variants Bible, §II: Hebrew Canon table Manuscript, §III, 2(ii)(a): Types of illustrated text: Liturgical and devotional historical and regional traditions Belgium Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(b): Manuscript painting: Meuse region Byzantine Bible, §I, 1(i): Early Christian and Byzantine manuscript Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 1: Latin manuscripts Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(ii): Greek religious manuscripts: Complete Bibles Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 3(i): Syriac manuscripts, 6th–10th centuries Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 3(ii): Syriac manuscripts, 11th–13th century Leo Bible Vienna Genesis Carolingian Bible, §I, 1(ii)(a): Medieval Christian manuscript, c 700–c 1070 Carolingian art, §IV, 3(iii): Manuscript painting, after c AD 850 Early Christian (c. AD 250-843) Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(iv)(d): Greek religious manuscripts: Job England Bible, §I, 1(ii)(b): Medieval Christian manuscript, c 1070–c 1450 France Gothic, §IV, 5(i): Painting: Transitional style, c 1180–1250 Gothic Gothic, §IV, 2(i): Manuscript painting Gothic, §IV, 4(ii): Painting techniques: Colour Italy Romanesque, §IV, 2(iii)(a): Manuscript painting: Religious texts Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(a): Manuscript painting: Italy Romanesque Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(f): Manuscript painting: Spain Spain Bible, §II, 1(i): Hebrew manuscript decoration individual manuscripts Admont Bible (Vienna, Österreich. Nbib., Cods s.n. 2701-2) Austria, §III, 1(i)(b): Romanesque manuscript illumination Hungary, §IV, 1: Painting and graphic arts, before c 1500 Romanesque, §IV, 1(ii)(b): Wall painting: Stylistic development, after c 1130 Albergati Bible (New Haven, CT, Yale U., Bienecke Lib., MS 407) Giorgio d’Alemagna Anjou Bible (Mechelen, Grand Séminaire, Bibliothèque, MS1) Orimina, Cristoforo Antwerp Bible (Antwerp, Mus. Plantin-Mortus) Wenceslas Bible Arnstein Bible (London, BL, Harley MSS 2798-9) Wanley, Humfrey Ashburnham Pentateuch (Paris, Bib. N., MS. nuov. acq. lat. 2334) Ashburnham, Bertram Title-page Bamberg Bible (Bamberg, Staatsbib., MS. Misc. class. Bibl. 1) France, §III, 1(i): Painting and graphic arts: Merovingian and Carolingian Bernward Bible (Hildesheim, Diözmus., Cod. 61) Hildesheim, §1(iii): Cathedral treasury Bible of Borso d'Este (Modena, Bib. Estense, MS. V.G. 12-13, lat. 422-3) Crivelli, Taddeo Este (i): (4) Borso d’Este Ferrara, §2: Art life and organization Franco dei Russi Giraldi, Guglielmo Girolamo da Cremona Modena Bible of Charles the Bald (Rome, S Paolo fuori le Mura) see Bible of San Paolo Bible of Charles the Bald, Second (Paris, Bib. N., MS. lat. 2) Ornament and pattern, §II, 2(ii): Western medieval, c mid-7th century–c early 11th century Bible of Charles V see Giffard Bible Bible of Clement VII (Paris, Bib. N., MS. lat. 18) Jacopino da Reggio Bible of Clement VII (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MSS. lat. 50-51) Jacquemart de Hesdin Bible of Evert Soudenbalch (Vienna, Österreich. Nbib., Cod. 2771) Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Master of Evert van Soudenbalch Bible of Jean de Sy (Paris, Bib. N., MS. fr. 15397) Gothic, §IV, 5(x): Painting: France, c 1350–c 1410 Valois, House of: (1) John II, King of France Valois, House of: (6) Louis, Duke of Orléans Bible of Niketas (Copenhagen, Kon. Bib. Cod. G.K.S.6; Florence, Bib. Medicea-Laurenziana, MS.5.9; Turin, Bib. N. U., Cod. B.I.2) Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(iv)(e): Greek religious manuscripts: Prophet books Bible of Queen Christina of Sweden see Leo Bible Bible of San Callisto see Bible of San Paolo Bible of San Juan de la Peña (Madrid, Bib. N.) Romanesque, §III, 2(ii): Wood sculpture: Spain Bible of San Paolo (Rome, S Paolo fuori le Mura) Bible of San Paolo Door, §II, 1(iii): Western world, before c 1400: Iron Manuscript, §II, 1(i): Production and trade: Early medieval Bible of S Maria ad Martyres see Pantheon Bible Bible of Stephen Harding (Dijon, Bib. Mun., MSS 12-15 Cistercian Order, §III, 2: Patronage: Manuscript painting Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(c): Manuscript painting: France Bible of the Duke of Alba (Madrid, Pal. Liria, Fund. Casa de Alba) Dress, §V, 1(ii): Southern Europe, 15th century Megillah Bible of Van-des-Escoliers (Liège, Bibl. Grand Sémin., MS 1) Belgium, §III, 1(ii): Manuscript illumination, before 1400 Bible of William of Devon (London, BL, Royal MS. 1.D.1) Border, manuscript Canterbury, §II: Centre of manuscript production England, §III, 1(ii): Painting and graphic arts, c 1066–c 1450 Gothic, §IV, 5(ii): Painting: Parisian and related styles, c 1240–c 1320 Biblia Hispalense (Madrid, Bib. N., Cod. Vit. 13-1) Islamic art, §III, 4(iv)(b): Painted book illustration, c 1000–c 1250: Spain and North Africa Mozarabic Bishop Gandulf's Bible (San Marino, CA, Huntington Lib., Phillips MS. 3504) Phillipps, Thomas Book of Armagh (Dublin, Trinity Coll. Lib., MS 52) Ireland, §III, 1: Painting and graphic arts, before 1600 Bourges Bible (Bourges, Bib. Mun., MS. 3) Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(g): Manuscript painting: Late Romanesque and Transitional Bury New Testament (Cambridge, Pembroke Coll., MS. 120) Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(d): Manuscript painting: England Bury St Edmunds Bible (Cambridge, Corpus Christi Coll., MS. 2) Bury St Edmunds, §2: Centre of manuscript production Bury St Edmunds Bible Byzantine blossom Manuscript, §II, 1(ii): Production and trade: Romanesque Romanesque, §IV, 2(ii): Manuscript painting: Patronage and production Romanesque, §IV, 2(v): Manuscript painting: Decoration Byllyng Bible (Paris, Bib. N., MS. lat. 11935) Gothic, §IV, 5(vi)(b): Painting: France, c 1300–c 1350 Pucelle, Jean, §1: Documented works Pucelle, Jean, §2(ii): Later attributed works, c 1323–34 Pucelle, Jean, §3: Workshop practices Calci Bible (Certosa di Calci, MS. 1) Pisa, §II: Art life Carilef Bible (Durham, Cathedral Lib., MS. A.II.4) Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(c): Manuscript painting: France Codex Amiatinus (Florence, Bib. Medicea-Laurenziana, MS. Amiatinus 1) Cassiodorus, Flavius Magnus Aurelius England, §III, 1(i): Painting, before c 1066 Insular art, §3: Manuscript illumination Lowe, Elias Avery Codex Sinaiticus (London, BL, Add. MS. 43725) Book, §1: Origins Initial, manuscript Macedonian Dynasty: (4) Constantine IX Cotton Genesis (London, BL, Cotton MS. Otho B. VI) Christianity, §III, 2(i): Iconography: Eastern Church: Byzantine Cotton Genesis Cotton, Robert Bruce Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(i): Greek religious manuscripts: Introduction Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(iv)(a): Greek religious manuscripts: Genesis Narrative art, §V, 1: Western world: Early Christian and Byzantine Dover Bible (Cambridge, Corpus Christi Coll., MSS 3-4 Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(d): Manuscript painting: England Duke of Sussex Bible (London, BL, Add. MS. 15250) Jewish art, §V, 1(ii): Hebrew illuminated manuscripts: Iberian peninsula Duque de Alba Bible Jewish art, §I, 4(i)(e): Iconography, before c 1600: Classical models and Christian imitations Egerton Genesis (London, BL, Egerton MS. 1894) Gothic, §IV, 5(ix): Painting: England, c 1350–c 1410 Floreffe Bible (London, BL, Add. MSS 17737-8) Romanesque, §IV, 2(iv): Manuscript painting: Text and image Frowinus Bible (Engelberg, Abbey) Frowinus Girona Bible (Girona, Bib. Capitolare) Masters, anonymous, and monogrammists, §I: Girona Master Hamilton Bible (Berlin, Kupferstichkab., MS. 78.E.3) Anjou, §I: (2) Robert Holkham Bible Picture Book (London, BL, Add. MS. 47682) Gothic, §IV, 1(iii): Painting: Representation and response Kennicott Bible, First (Oxford, Bodleian Lib., Kenn. MS. 1) Joseph ibn Hayyim Koblenz Bible (Pommersfelden, Schloss Weissenstein, MSS 333-4) Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(e): Manuscript painting: Holy Roman Empire Lambeth Bible (London, Lambeth Pal. Lib., MS. 3; Maidstone Mus. & A.G.) Lambeth Bible St Albans, §2: Centre of manuscript production Leo Bible (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MS. Reg. gr. 1) Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(iv)(f): Greek religious manuscripts: Psalters Lisbon Bible (Lisbon, Bib. N., MS. Il.72) Joseph ha-Zarefati Lübeck Bible (Lübeck, St Annen-Kloster) Altdorfer: (2) Erhard Altdorfer Maciejowski Bible (New York, Pierpont Morgan Lib., MS. M.638) Construction machinery, §1: Ancient times to the Industrial Revolution, before c 1800 Mazarin Bible (Paris, Bib. Mazarine) Gutenberg, Johann Prints, §III, 6(ii)(a): Colour printing, 15th–18th centuries Milan Bible (Milan, Bib. Ambrosiana, MS. B 30-32 inf.) Jewish art, §V, 1(iv): Hebrew illuminated manuscripts: Germanic countries Moutier-Grandval Bible (London, BL, Add. MS. 10546) Carolingian art, §IV, 3(ii): Manuscript painting, before c AD 850 Tours, §2(i): Centre of manuscripts production Pantheon Bible (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MS. Vat. lat. 12958) Italy, §III, 2(iii): Late medieval painting, c 1100–c 1400 Pommersfelden Bible see Koblenz Bible Rijm Bible (The Hague, Rijksmus. Meermanno-Westreenianum, MS. 10B21) Netherlands, the, §III, 1: Painting and graphic arts, before c 1400 St Petersburg Bible (St Petersburg, Saltykov-Shchedrin Pub. Lib., MS. B 19a) Jewish art, §V, 1(i): Hebrew illuminated manuscripts: Near East S Maria ad Martyres Bible see Pantheon Bible Urbino Bible (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MSS Urb. lat. 1-2) Francesco di Antonio del Chierico Vespasiano da Bisticci Vatican Book of Kings (Rome, Vatican, Bib. Apostolica, MS. Vat. gr. 333) Early Christian and Byzantine art, §V, 2(iv)(c): Greek religious manuscripts: Kings Velislav Bible (Prague, Libs Facs & Insts Charles U., MS. XXIII. C.124) Gothic, §IV, 5(viii): Painting: Holy Roman Empire, c 1300–c 1400 Vienna Genesis (Vienna, Österreich. Nbib., Cod. theol. gr. 31) Chrysography Garden, §III: Byzantine lands Illusionism, §1: Before c 1450 Landscape painting, §II, 2: Byzantium and the Middle Ages, c 2nd century AD–;c 15th century Purple codex Rossano Gospels Wickhoff, Franz Vivian Bible (Paris, Bib. N., MS. lat. 1) Censer Charles the Bald Codex Aureus of St Emmeram Regalia, §2: Crowns Throne, §II, 1(ii): Europe, before c 1500: Secular Walther Bible (c. 1120-30; Michaelbeuren, Stiftsbib., MS. perg. 1) Romanesque, §IV, 2(vi)(e): Manuscript painting: Holy Roman Empire Wenceslas Bible (Vienna, Österreich. Nbib., MSS 2759-64) Luxembourg, House of: (4) Wenceslas, King of Germany Winchester Bible (Winchester, Cathedral Lib.) Henry of Blois Heraldry, §II, 4(vii)(a): Western heraldry in art: Manuscripts Romanesque, §IV, 2(i): Manuscript painting: Introduction Transitional style, §2: Figural arts Winchester, §II: Centre of manuscript production Winchester Bible types Alcalá Plantin, Christoph Bible de Richelieu Richelieu (ii): (2) Duc de Richelieu Bible historiale Bible, §I, 3(iii): Christian: Bible historiale Bible of Royaumont Bible, §I, 2(ii): Illustrated printed Christian Bibles moralisées Allegory, §III, 2: Medieval: 12th and 13th centuries Bible, §I, 3(i): Christian: Bible moralisée Gothic, §VIII, 2: Stained glass: France Typological cycles, §2: 12th century and later Biblia pauperum Bible, §I, 3(ii): Christian: Biblia pauperum Biblia regia see Polyglot Cologne Bible Apocalypse, §2: Printed Complutensian Polyglot Bible, §I, 2(i): Unillustrated printed Christian Great Bible of Mortier Luyken Gutenberg Bible Printing, §1: Invention Radziwill Lithuanian Brest Bible Lithuania, §II: c 1530–c 1780 Vulgate Christianity, §I, 3(i): History: Western Church, before 1500 Wittenberg Bible Cranach: (3) Lucas Cranach II see also APOCALYPSES; GOSPEL BOOKS; GOSPEL LECTIONARIES; LECTIONARIES; NEW TESTAMENTS; OLD TESTAMENTS; PSALTERS

Reproduced by kind permission of Macmillan Publishers Limited, publishers of The Grove Dictionary of Art.
� Copyright 2000 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

artnet.com | artnet.de | artnet.fr

search artists: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z