The Saint John's Bible is the first handwritten Bible that interprets and illustrates scripture from a contemporary perspective and incorporates imagery from Eastern and Western religious traditions.
Using medieval inks, materials, and methods, a team of more than 20 artists and calligraphers worked for 15 years to create the book-art project.
Beginning Friday, illustrations from the Saint John’s Bible will be on display at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover in an exhibition titled “Illuminating the Word.”
The Saint John’s Bible was commissioned nearly 15 years ago by St. John's Abbey and University in Minnesota, making it the first illuminated Bible contracted since the invention of the printing press.
Tim Ternes, is the Director of the project. He says the Saint John’s Bible is one of the major art commissions of the modern world.
“Many scholars have said that art commissioning on this scale hasn't really happened since the commissioning of the Sistine Chapel.”
The complete work includes 1,127 handwritten pages and over 160 major artworks.
“What the Biggs Museum of American Art will be showcasing is 70 of the original pages of that manuscript,” says Ternes. “We’ve kept the Bible unbound at this point in time so when people come to see it at the Biggs they will truly be surrounded by a monumental work. It will be the first time you can almost walk into a Bible.”
The "Illuminating the Word" exhibit opens Friday, December 4th at the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK9oCX5lBLQ
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.