Overview

The Velislav Bible is one of the most beautiful medieval Bohemian manuscripts. It is a heavily illustrated manuscript that contains only short selections of the text, that instruct the reader about the story depicted. The last picture in the manuscript shows a man kneeling before St. Catherine, identified as Velislav, hence the name of the manuscript. The Bible comprises stories from the Books of Genesis and Exodus, visions of Daniel, and the stories of Samson as well as of Judith. The narrative of the Antichrist precedes the Christological part. The New Testament continues with the Book of Revelation, stories following the Ascension of Christ, and key events from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul. The manuscript closes with the legend of St. Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. The essays in The Velislav Bible, Finest Picture-Bible of the Late Middle Ages: Biblia depicta as Devotional, Mnemonic and Study Tool analyze the manuscript from historical, textual, art-historical, and iconographic perspectives. However, a shared concern of all the authors is to think about its functions. An edition of the Latin titulis is being published here for the first time.

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For those who have long been fascinated by the remarkable mid-fourteenth-century picture book known as the Velislav Bible, the volume edited by Lenka Panu.kova has been eagerly awaited; for medievalists not acquainted with this fascinating manuscript, this volume will serve as a welcome introduction. [...] I'm delighted to have this book and recommend it to all interested in medieval manuscript illustration, apocalyptic and biblical studies, and didactic and homiletic practices. - Richard K. Emmerson, The Medieval Review, 21.02.08 (2021) The contributors to this volume bring to light, once again, the famous Czech/Bohemian picture Bible, the Velislav Bible, created sometime in the first half of the fourteenth century. Older research had already recognized the great value of this Bible, and the authors of the collected articles stand on their shoulders and try to offer new perspectives... This is a well edited volume, and much credit goes both to the editor and the contributors, as well as to the publishing house. - Albrecht Classen, Mediaevistik 32, 2019

The contributors to this volume bring to light, once again, the famous Czech/Bohemian picture Bible, the Velislav Bible, created sometime in the first half of the fourteenth century. Older research had already recognized the great value of this Bible, and the authors of the collected articles stand on their shoulders and try to offer new perspectives... This is a well edited volume, and much credit goes both to the editor and the contributors, as well as to the publishing house. - Albrecht Classen, Mediaevistik 32, 2019

Author Information

Lenka Panu.ková is a researcher in illuminated manuscripts, iconography and medieval craft of thoughts at the Czech Academy of Sciences.

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