42 Line Bible

The 42 Line Bible, also known as the Gutenberg Bible, was the first book to be printed in the West using movable type. The movable type press which the 42 Line Bible was produced on was invented by Johannes Gutenberg, who the bible is named after. Prior to this all books in the West were manuscripts(hand written) or produced by pressing woodcuts of pages. This meant that the 42 Line Bible heralded a revolution in the manufacturing of books that rendered the practice of manuscript printing obsolete. Although the 42 Line Bible was produced in Latin, the movable type printing press allowed for the proliferation of vernacular language books in Europe.

  

Of the 42 Line Bibles originally produced by Gutenberg, only 48 are known to survive today. Of these 36 are printed on paper and another 12 are printed on vellum (calf skin). Among these surviving bibles the U.S. Library of Congress has a complete vellum 42 Line Bible, the British Library has a complete vellum copy and the British Library has a complete paper copy. The 42 Line Bible is closely connected to the 36 Line Bible which was sometimes contended to have been produced first. However, recent examinations of the two have concluded that it is the 42 Line Bible which was produced first.

Sources

British Library. Gutenberg Bible. 2017, https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/gutenberg-bible

Encyclopedia Britannica. Gutenberg Bible. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gutenberg-Bible

Arth 364. Notes. 2016.

The Ghent Altarpiece: see it for yourself!

The Ghent Altarpiece (named because of its location in a cathedral in Ghent) is a magnificent work by Jan van Eyck, who did it in 1432. It's one of the most famous works of art in Europe. It's an actual altarpiece, meaning that it can be stood out open, or it can be folded up and closed:

People viewing the open altarpiece. Notice the hinges. And how huge it is.

It depicts several religious symbols on the inside, notably Jesus in the center wearing red. It's in fact a telling of the story of Jesus, the figures nearby are prophets, angels, and Mary.

The altarpiece has been in many hands over the years. The Nazis were one of many groups to steal it, and they hid it away in a salt mine. (Link) Imagine the kind of damage that environment did to the oil painting! Fortunately, it's been found and restored almost to the level of the original.

And for interest's sake: you too can see it for yourself! An internet project by the Getty Foundation has made a recreation of it in high detail, complete with descriptions of each image and the ability to zoom in anywhere you'd like: Link

Works Cited

Khan Academy (2013). Ghent Altarpiece. Retrieved from: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern-renaissance1/burgundy-netherlands/v/ghent-altarpiece-closed (transcript)

Getty Foundation (2010). Closer to Van Eyck: Rediscovering the Ghent Altarpiece. Retrieved from: http://legacy.closertovaneyck.be/#home/sub=open