The Art of the Bible: the Bible as art

20 Pages·2001·2 MB·English

by  Allan B. Kirsner and Julie Mellby

Art
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BibliaAnglica,31January 1548. 1922.177.AnEnglishlanguagetranslationofErasmus'spopularcommentaryontheNewTestament,thisbookha
achainattached,soitcouldbesecuredittoalibrarydesk.Thiswasacommonmethodusedtopreventthetheftofpopularbooks.
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with essays by
Allan B. Kirsner and Julie Mellby
Toledo Museum of Art
Horae(BookofHours),NorthernItalianmanuscript,writteninLatin,between 1513and 1521. 1957.23.ABookofHoursisasmallvolumecontainingpersonalprayerstobe
readthroughouttheday.ThisbookwaswrittenforPopeLeoX,amemberortheMedicifamilyandagreatpromoterofliterature,science,andthearts.
Traianos Gagos, both ofthe UniversityofMichigan, Ann
fore\x>or5
Arbor, helped coordinate the loan ofa fragment from the
University's impressive Papyrology Collection. Funding for this
In the mid-fifteenth century,Johann Gutenberg (ca.1400- catalogue comes from theAndrewW. Mellon Foundation, Dr.
1468) revolutionized the production ofbooks andset into and Mrs. Allan B. Kirsner, Mrs. Ginger Bopp, and theToledo
motion mass production ofreligious and secular literature. Area LibrariansAssociation (TALA).This diverse group oflocal
The Gutenberg Bible symbolizes the invention ofprinting for and national supporters has energized the project and driven us
theWestern world, one ofmans greataccomplishments. It is to produce alivelyandscholarlycatalogue forthe exhibition.
no wonder that Gutenbergwas named one ofthe "100 men
ofthe millennium" by the British BroadcastingCompany. The exhibitionwas selected byJulie Mellby, associate curator
ofgraphic arts, togetherwith Dr. Kirsner. Each has contributed
Here inToledo, oneofthe "men ofthe Museum's century" is a short essayto the catalogue. Dr. Kirsner has written a concise
GeorgeW. Stevens (1866-1926). He not onlyserved as director historyoftheWestern Bible, highlightingsome ofthe items
oftheToledo Museum ofArt but also initiated the Museum's in this exhibition, while Ms. Mellby tells the storyofthe
stunning collection ofmanuscripts andprinted books. He book and manuscript collection at theToledo Museum. Julie
understood the beauty and significance ofthe artofthewritten A. McMaster, Museum archivist, assisted in the research.The
and printedword and formed a collection to tell thatstory Reverend Robert Kirtland of theToledo Bladereviewed much of
from papyrus leaves to modern day livresd'artiste. the material, and his expert commentswere greatlyappreciated.
The cataloguewas edited by Sandra E. Knudsen, coordinator
Aswe celebrate a new millennium and ourown centenary,
of publications, and beautifullydesigned by Rochelle Slosser
we honor these menwith the exhibition TheArtoftheBibleI
Smith, graphic designer.
TheBibleasArt. Theexhibition presents some ofthegreatest
treasures from the Museum's collection, including illuminated Pete Cross, UniversityofToledo intern, assisted in an inventory
medieval manuscripts, an Islamic Koran, a handwritten Hebrew of the Museum's manuscripts and printed Bibles, which has
scroll, and the first printing ofthe KingJames edition ofthe been mounted on the Museum'sweb site byTimothyA. Motz,
Christian Bible. Our focus is on the Bible, with its many educational media administrator. We hope this information,
manifestations, translations, formats, and interpretations, as it available atwww.toledomuseum.org, will prove valuable to
presents the historyofthewritten and printedword. For this bibliographic researchers and booklovers in general. In addition
exhibition, we are primarily lookingat Bibles oftheWestern to our own staff, we are also grateful to Paul Needham, Scheide
World, with full understandingofthe significant alternatives Librarian at Princeton Universityand an international expert
that are fundamental to the cultures ofEastern Europe, the on earlyprinted books and bindings, who kindly agreed to
Middle East, and the FarEast. Future exhibitionswill present apublic lecture to help interpret the material on display.
highlight these other areas ofour collection. Support for this program comes from agenerous donation by
the Museum Library League.
To complement theToledo Museum's permanent collection, we
are grateful forseveral loans from the private collections ofMrs. Finally, we are indebted to George W. Stevens. His enthusiasm,
Claire and Dr. Allan B. Kirsnerand Dr.James G. Ravin, all of vision, and accomplishments still inspire us to cultivate the
Toledo, Ohio. We thankthem for theirgenerous supportand extraordinaryarts ofthewritten and printedword.
applaud the passion they have for the art ofprinting, alove
cultivated through manyvisits to the Museum's book room Roger M. Berkowitz
W
(nowthe George Stevens Gallery). Kathryn L. Beam and Director
TheToledoMuseumofArt'sbookroom,about 1940.Thisphotographwastakeninsidethegallerythatvisitorscalledthe"bookroom."HeretheToledoMuseum'sfinestbooks,
manuscripts,andscrollswerekeptonpermanentviewformorethansixtyyears. Ifyoulookclosely,youwillseemanygreatexamplesoffifteenth-centuryprinting,includingtwo
pagesfromaGutenbergBibleandanengravedportraitofShakespeareinthe 1632secondfolio.
'
t()e Xrta of Writing cm5 printing at tfie tofe5o yOuszum of Xrt
Itistheaim ofourMuseumsomedayto tellperfectly thestoryof fifteenth-century Italian music. This was quickly followed in
printing, engraving, andillustrating,from theancientdaysofthe 1907 by two rare examples ofearly printed books, including
clay tablet, down throughpapyri, vellum, thehandwritten books, onewith a beautiful woodcut frontispiece depicting the
incunabula, theearlyengravingon woodandcopper, etching, Adoration ofthe Magi. But clearly, Stevens had already
printingandbook makinginallitssteps. acquired much more, because theToledo Bladementions a
public exhibition that year: "The third special exhibit will tell
More than anyone else, itwas George W. Stevens, the second the story ofprinting and engraving from the earliest times
director oftheToledo Museum ofArt from 1903 to 1926, down to the present, beginningwith theAssyrcan inscription
who was responsible for the acquisition, development, and one thousand years before Christ."3 The exhibition generated
interpretation ofthe Museum's collection ofrare books and a great deal ofexcitement and when the closing date arrived,
manuscripts. Without formal bibliographic instruction or
the showwas moved to a rear gallery, where visitorswere
even a college degree, Stevens trained himselfin the history promised that itwould remain "as long as possible."
and complexities ofthe specialized world ofrare books. His
acquisitions remain the nucleus ofthe collection, and his When the Museum opened its new building in 1912, two
mission statement (printed at the top ofthis page) established galleries were devoted to the collection called "prints, print-
ourcollecting philosophy that continues into the twenty-first ing, and book-making." One gallery displayed framed prints,
century. and the other became affectionately known as the "book
room." Herevisitors could find the rarest and most beautiful
Visitors to the Museum may not realize how unique this objects permanently on view, including pages from the
collection is among this country's fine art museums. Few Gutenberg Bible, Renaissance Books ofHours with gold
institutions have shown the devotion needed to form a illumination, and Egyptian manuscript fragments on papyrus.
collection that ranges from the earliest clay tablets to the most Several generations ofToledo children have grown up visiting
contemporaryartists' books. Stevens's successoras director, the book room and developed an appreciation for the arts of
Blake-More Godwin, described itwell: "Mr. Stevens saw in writing and printing.
manuscripts and books material rich in its own right, awaiting
the hand thatwould collect, display, and interpret it, making Over the nextyears, more illuminated manuscripts were
it interesting to the most casual visitor as well as available to acquired, followed by sumptuous rare bindings, and illus-
the serious student."2 trated first editions. Practically every month brought excep-
tionally beautiful and indescribably rare treasures. Yet, Stevens
From the earliest days ol the Museum, Stevens planned this
did more than build a collection, he also built an audience
collection ofbooks and manuscripts. The first recorded for it. In 1923, Stevens instigated a campaign to have every
purchasewas made in 1906: a double manuscript leafof member ofthe Museum give one dollar toward the purchase
ofa seventeenth-century second folio ofthe complete works apparentwhich openingwas chosen for the former book
ofWilliam Shakespeare. Dollar bills came from all over Ohio, room exhibition because ofdiscoloration and fading. Special
Michigan, and Illinois, stirringWalter Hill, a Chicago care is given to these fragile pages to keep the deterioration
collector, to donate a second early edition ofShakespeare's from progressing. Aswe move into our second century, we
Othello. are looking forward to having a full-time conservator on staff
and to having the proper laboratory spaces to care for all the
There's no telling how much more Stevens would have Museums treasures, so that we can share them with many
accomplished had he lived. He died in the fall of1926. The
future generations ofart lovers.
followingyear, the Museum Board ofTrustees unanimously
voted to name agallery in his honor. From that time forward This fall marks the seventy-fifth anniversaryofStevens's
there has been a George W. Stevens Gallery, devoted to the death, and 2002 will be the anniversary ofthe dedication
"logical arrangement ofmasterly examples...ofthe art of ofthe GeorgeW. Stevens Gallery. TheArtoftheBibleIThe
writing and printing. "4 The much loved "book room" BibleasArthas been mounted to celebrate these landmarks
finally had a name. bycontinuing the Museum's mandate to collect, display,
and interpret treasured books and manuscripts. Many ofthe
Unknown to the staffat the time, keeping theseworks on loans are thanks toToledo collectors who were inspired by
permanent view in the book room was causing them irrepa-
the Stevens collection and went on to create their own,
rable harm. The intensity ofthe sunlight, with its unfiltered personal book rooms. We are grateful for their support and
ultra-violet rays, and the constantly changing heat and
look forward to future generations following in the distin-
humidity ofthe room was damaging the paper, fading the guished footsteps ofGeorge Stevens. Together, we will move
colors, and causing the bound books to contract and expand, forward into a new centuryofrare book and manuscript
thereby ripping themselves apart. By the 1980s, newconser- collectingwith manygreat treasures yet to find.
vation scholarship became available concerning the care and
preservation ofworks ofart on paper. The Stevens Collection
and Gallerywere moved from the second floor to their
Julie Mellby
current location in the eastwing ofthe first floor. Cabinets
Associate Curator ofGraphicArts
and boxes were custom built to safely house these treasures
away from damagingsunlight, dust, and the stress caused by
permanent exhibition. Works from the collection are now
rotated in thematic exhibitions for no more than three
months, while classes and researchers can request individual
items in the Grace Hitchcock Print Study Room.
J.
Although this new Gallerywill preserve ourworks on paper
for many years to come, the damage ofthe past cannot be
undone. For example, for this exhibition we were fortunate to 1 ToledoMuseum ofArtMuseumNews, no. 40, December 1921.
receive two loans ofpages from the Gutenberg Bible, because 2 "The GeorgeW. Stevens Gallery," The ToledoMuseum
the two leaves owned by the Museum have turned brown and ofArtMuseumNews, no. 49, April 1927.
brittle. They are available forstudy, but are no longer suitable 3 ToledoBlade, October 26, 1907.
for exhibition. In some ofour rare books, it is immediately 4 ToledoMuseum ofArtMuseumNews, no. 49,April 1927.
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GospelsofMatthewandMark,Northern Frenchmanuscript,writteninLatin,before 1130.LentbyClaireandAllanB.Kirsner.Inthelateeleventhandtwelfthcenturies,the
Bibletextwasoftenhandwritteninasinglecolumnatthecenterofthepagesurroundedbycommentaryorthe"gloss."ThiscommentaryisrromthewritingsoftheVenerable
Bede,thefirstEnglishhistorian,andSaintJerome.