The Gutenberg Bible (The 42 lined Bible). (Volume I & II).

Johannes Gutenberg (Printer)

Origin: Mainz., XV c.
Biblioteca Pública del Estado en Burgos.

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ISBN 13:

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Inc. 66.
Facsimile. Incunabula. Collection of Incunabula and Old Books.
84-87988-21-0 (vol. I)
84-87988-22-9 (vol. II)
978-84-87988-21-9 (vol. I)
978-84-87988-22-6 (vol. II)
Folio
31 x 41 cm.
362+2 crd. (vol. I); 315+2 crd. (vol. II)
674+4 crd. (vol. I); 630+4 crd. (vol. II)
Latin.
1454.
30th April 1995.
A:690+B:690+100+70+30
Engraved leather on wooden board; with iron works.
Religion.
Two volumes and commentary volume.
First book printed in the world.
Numbered by notary and signed by the printer-publisher. (First edition (A) of 690 copies). Specially made laid paper with the same features as that used by Gutenberg. It has the same watermarks as the original.

Johannes Gutenberg. The 42 lined Bible. Commentary.

Dietrich BRIESEMEISTER (Author)

Eva HANNEBUTT-BENZ (Author)

Hans-Joachim KOPPITZ (Author)

Lotte HELLINGA (Author)

Julián MARTÍN ABAD (Author)

Mª. del Carmen MONJE MATÉ (Author)

Eberhard KÖNIG (Author)

Corinna SUSSEBACH (Translator)

Sarah Joanne WHYTE (Translator)

Vicente GÓMEZ (Translator)

Isabel MOYANO ANDRÉS (Translator)

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ISBN 10:
ISBN 13:
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Studies and monographs. Bibliofilia Antigua. Collection of Incunabula and Old Books.
84-87988-50-4
978-84-87988-50-9
23,3 x 33,5 cm.
126
English.
1997
Cloth golden engraved.
Printing.

Johannes Gutenberg. La Biblia de 42 líneas. Comentario.

Dietrich BRIESEMEISTER (Author)

Eva HANNEBUTT-BENZ (Author)

Hans-Joachim KOPPITZ (Author)

Lotte HELLINGA (Author)

Julián MARTÍN ABAD (Author)

Corinna SUSSEBACH (Translator)

Sarah Joanne WHYTE (Translator)

Vicente GÓMEZ (Translator)

Isabel MOYANO ANDRÉS (Translator)

Study sheet:

Classification:


ISBN 10:
ISBN 13:
Size:
Pages:
Languagee:
Edition date :
Binding:
Main theme:

Studies and monographs. Bibliofilia Antigua. Collection of Incunabula and Old Books.
84-87988-23-7
978-84-87988-23-3
23,3 x 33,5 cm.
128
Spanish.
1997
Cloth golden engraved.
Printing.

Johannes Gutenberg. Die 42-Zeilige Bibel. Kommentar.

Dietrich BRIESEMEISTER (Author)

Eva HANNEBUTT-BENZ (Author)

Hans-Joachim KOPPITZ (Author)

Lotte HELLINGA (Author)

Julián MARTÍN ABAD (Author)

Mª. del Carmen MONJE MATÉ (Author)

Eberhard KÖNIG (Author)

Corinna SUSSEBACH (Translator)

Sarah Joanne WHYTE (Translator)

Vicente GÓMEZ (Translator)

Isabel MOYANO ANDRÉS (Translator)

Study sheet:

Classification:


ISBN 10:
ISBN 13:
Size:
Pages:
Languagee:
Edition date :
Binding:
Main theme:

Studies and monographs. Bibliofilia Antigua. Collection of Incunabula and Old Books.
84-87988-49-0
978-84-87988-49-3
23,3 x 33,5 cm.
134
German.
1997
Cloth golden engraved.
Printing.

Synopsis:

Gutenberg lived in a time of strong differences between guilds and patricians which disturbed the city’s peace. After completing his studies in the city of Erfurt he left the city of Mainz, spending some years in Strasbourg, an important commercial centre of the era, and an ideal place to start an activity and earn a living. In 1448 he returned to Mainz, and established a printing and composition house, which he made to work in the Getenberghof.

In Mainz, as far as is known, the first dated books were printed. Printing began in 1452, and in October 1454, Eneas Silvio Piccolomini, -later pope Pius II-, sent word to the Spanish Cardinal Juan de Carvajal that the Imperial Assembly of Frankfurt was offering parts of a Bible done by a remarkable man. This was surely The Gutenberg Bible, since between 158 and 180 copies were being discussed, therefore it could only refer to printed books. Three years went by before this grandiose work was completed, demonstrating that it was in conditions to form a book with the same perfection as a medieval copier. In order to finance the printing, Gutenberg twice had to ask a Mainz merchant, Johannes Fust, for a loan of 800 florins. This was a very large amount, and as Gutenberg was unable to return the money in time, his printing machine fell into the hands of Fust, the moneylender, who along with his son-in-law Peter Schöffer, an old colleague of Gutenberg, established their own printing house which continued to exist through Schöffer’s heirs until well into the XVI century.

In his final years Gutenberg bore witness to, not without tragedy, the fall in war of Mainz and along with that the beginnings of the spread of typographic art throughout Europe. From 1465 onwards he received an income from the archbishop Adolf of Nassau, the victor, which equalled a public homage. He died on the 3rd of February, 1468 in Mainz.

The Gutenberg Bible had to differ as little as possible from the customary image of the codex, in such a way that the buyer would not find the work unusual. For this reason, the text may be inscribed within the tradition of manuscripts which were employed in the Mainz area. In order to get an adjustment of the text as balanced as possible and with aligned margins, Gutenberg commissioned 290 kinds of type for the Bible, which are admirable, above all those complicated unions between the type or ligatures. No subsequent print has ever surpassed this in typographic quality. In practically no invention, is such great perfection found from the very start.

The buyers of a Gutenberg Bible did not receive identical copies, as the volumes were embellished each time in a different way. Given that each copy of the Bible is unique, it is without doubt a good time to produce a facsimile edition of the Burgos copy.

IBIC Rating:

AC History of art / art & design styles
ACN History of art & design styles: c 1400 to c 1600
AFC Painting & paintings
AFH Prints & printmaking
AFJ Other graphic art forms
AFT Decorative arts
AGN Animals & nature in art (still life, landscapes & seascapes, etc)
AGR Religious subjects depicted in art
DSBB Literary studies: classical, early & medieval
HBG General & world history
HBJD European history
HBLC Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500
HBLC1 Medieval history
HBLH Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700
HRA Religion: general
HRAX History of religion
HRC Christianity
HRCC2 Church history
HRCC7 Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church
HRCF Bibles
HRCG Biblical studies & exegesis
HRCM Christian theology
TBX History of engineering & technology
WCS Antiques & collectables: books, manuscripts, ephemera & printed matter

1D Europe
1DFG Germany
1DSE Spain
1DSEH Castilla y León, Autonomous Community
2AB English
3H c 1000 CE to c 1500