ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition

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Other favorites are the Book of Kells, Psalter of Queen Melisende, Winchester Bible, the Bedford Book of Hours, and The Great Hours of Anne of Brittany. The illuminated books and manuscripts were most often created for and given to wealthy royal people. They were literate. Most of the common everyday people were not literate, but they wouldn’t have seen these books. So I am unclear about the subtitle explaining the book.

Decorative and illuminated calligraphy is present in the sacred texts of several religions, but among the Abrahamic faiths only Christian scripture is also illustrated extensively in grand copies. Within the Jewish tradition, figurative imagery is limited to certain books and biblical commentaries (never the Torah). This is based on a strict interpretation of the Second Commandment against graven images or likenesses (Exodus 20.4). However, in both Western and Eastern Christendom almost any type of decoration is possible, whether individual narrative images in letters, literal or allegorical illustration, or story-telling biblical picture books where text is minimal.Of course there is a section on vellum versus parchment and the various inks to use. This of course can be disregarded.

For two millennia the Bible has inspired the creation of art. Within this legacy of remarkable art and beauty, illuminated biblical manuscripts offer some of the best evidence for our understanding of early Christian painting and artistic interpretations of the Bible. The Last Supper, in Bible (the ‘Holkham Bible Picture Book’), c. 1327–1335, parchment, 28.5 x 21 cm ( The British Library)

A favorite in the book is the Theodore Psalter. This book includes the 150 Psalms with illustrations of stories of David. Brief definitions are in most of the chapters. Two examples: “What is a Psalter?” And, what sources of materials were used to create the manuscripts. The Bible of Illuminated Letters is a comprehensive guide to illumination. Having learnt a couple of calligraphy hands, I was keen to develop my skills further by starting to create illuminated letters. This book is the perfect guide. It starts with a comprehensive introduction to the tools and techniques needed as well as layout and colour theory. The main body of the book contains decorated alphabets from six different time periods with step-by-step instructions of how to create them. I found the instructions straightforward to follow and I liked the inclusion of examples of historical work from each period. The illustrations are large enough for you to be able to see the details of each letter clearly and the book is printed on good quality paper. I’m not aware of anything else quite like the ESV Illuminated Bible .” ―J. Mark Bertrand, blogger, BibleDesignBlog.com Where I found this book interesting, was in its step-by-step instructions for recreating letters from six historical periods. Both lower- and upper-case letters are shown, accompanied by full instructions.

An extensively illustrated compendium of 45 expertly selected illuminated bibles that transport the reader through 1,000 years of history and across the Christian world.A historiated initial D representing David as a shepherd, rescuing a lamb from a lion at the beginning of Psalm 38, from the Vespasian Psalter. Psalter (‘The Vespasian Psalter’), 2nd quarter of the 8th century–mid-9th century ( The British Library) Stylistic influences on biblical paintings Its beauty asks you to engage with the text in a way many Christians have never done before.” ―Sophie DeMuth, Fathom magazine Features over 500 hand-lettered gold ink illustrations invite you to engage with the beauty of God's Word. From a world lit only by fire, some of the most beautiful Bibles were created, illuminated, and enlivened with breathtaking illustrations.