Facsimiles of Medieval Manuscripts and Incunabula

Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Fr.13096

The Apocalypse of 1313 is a medieval illuminated Apocalypse manuscript that was signed and dated by its illuminator, Colin Chadewe. Its visual design is a blending of the Beatus Apocalypse and the English Apocalypse traditions.

French Commentary

New York City, Metropolitan Museum of Art, MS 68.174

The Cloisters Apocalypse is a medieval Apocalypse manuscript created in Normandy around the year 1330. Traces of a coat of arms in the manuscript suggest that its patron was associated with the de Montigny family.

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Trier, Stadtbibliothek, Codex 31

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Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, MSS. 2554

The Bible Moralisée is a genre of medieval bibles which pair scenes from the Old Testament with scenes from the New Testament with minimal scriptural and commentary captions to highly typological comparisons. The MS 2554 is the most famous example of the corpus of medieval moralized bibles.

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New York City, Pierpoint Morgan Library, MS M. 240

The Bible Moralisée of St. Louis is a moralized bible that was commissioned by Blanche of Castile for her son, King Louis IX of France. The Bible was used to help instruct the young king on ideals of rulership and piety as he was made king when he was only 12 years old.

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London, British Library, MS Add. 18850

The Bedford Book of Hours was made in early 15th-century Paris and contains a calendar, Genesis miniatures, Gospel excerpts, prayers to the Virgin, Hours of the Virgin, Penitential Psalms, Office of the Dead, Hours of the Passion, and saints prayers. The original patron is still debated, but the manuscript contains portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford.

Additional resource: The Bedford Hours : The Making of a Medieval Masterpiece

High Quality Color Facsimile with German Commentary and English Addendum

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Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Mss. Lat. 14000

The Codex Aureus is a luxuriously illuminated Gospels book that was made for Charles the Bald, King of the Franks (840-877) and Holy Roman Emperor (875-877). The name “Codex Aureus,” meaning Golden Book, refers to the heavy use of gold leafing and the gold, jewel-encrusted binding. The manuscript was signed by scribes Beringar and Liuthard, who dated it in 870. After Charles the Bald’s death in 877, the manuscript was acquired by his cousin the King of Bavaria, who donated it to the Abbey of St. Emmeram in Regensburg.

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Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, MS lat. 10525

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Stuttgart, Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek, MS Bibl. fol. 23

The Stuttgart Psalter is a 9th-century illuminated manuscript produced at the scriptorium at St. Germain-des-Prés. The manuscript contains 162 decorated initials and 316 images and is written in Carolingian minuscule.

Black and White Unbound Folios

Utrecht, Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, MS 32

The Utrecht Psalter is one of the most famous manuscripts produced at Rheims, the best-known center for Carolingian book production. It’s many sketchy drawings harken back to classical and Byzantine art due to the many-figure compositions and narrative quality of the scenes. Scholars have termed the period in Frankish art when artists incorporated classical conventions as the “Carolingian Renaissance.”

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Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Codex Vindobonensis 958)

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Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS Latin 9428

The Drogo Sacramentary was commissioned by the illegitimate son of Charlemagne, Drogo, the bishop of Metz (826-55). The manuscript contains 41 historiated initials which depicting various scenes and foliage.

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Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale Albert I, MS Codex IV 1024

The Livre des Simples Medicines is an important medical textbook and herbal from the 12th century. The manuscript was based on Dioscorides’s Vulgaris. It was likely written by Matthaeus Platearius, a physician from Salerno.

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Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Urb. Lat. 376

The Romance of the Rose is a medieval French poem in the genre of courtly love or chivalric literature. The poem was written in two parts by Guillaume de Lorris (circa 1230) and Jean de Meun (circa 1275).

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Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, MS fran. 616

The Livre de la Chasse is a medieval manuscript written by Gaston III, Count of Foix, about hunting techniques. The manuscript survives in several manuscript copies and later printed editions.

High Quality Color Facsimile with German and French Commentary
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Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, MS fran. 2810

The Livre des Merveilles, also known as the Travels of Marco Polo, is a 13th-century travel account written in Old French. The manuscript was written by Rustichello da Pisa, apparently based on the stories he heard from Marco Polo while in a Genoese jail.

Black and White Unbound Plates

New York City, The Pierpont Morgan Library, Ms M. 638

The Morgan Picture Bible is 13th-century illuminated manuscript that depicts the bible in contemporary crusader scenes. It is accompanied by text in Latin, Persian, Arabic, Judeo-Persian, and Hebrew.

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Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms lat. 9474

The Grandes Heures de la Reine Anne de Bretagne was made by Jean Bourdichon in the beginning of the 16th century. The manuscript has 49 full-page miniatures and numerous marginal illuminations, which depict realistic foliage, insects, and animals.

Black and White Unbound Plates with French Introduction

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, ms. Lat. 919

The Grandes Heures is an illuminated book of hours commissioned by Jean, Duke of Berry in the year 1407. Identifiable artists include Jacquemart de Hesdin and an illuminator known as Pseudo-Jaquemart.

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New York City, The Cloisters Collection, MS 54. 1.2

This tiny book of hours was made in Paris around the year 1325 as a gift from the French King Charles IV, to his new bride, Jeanne d’Evreux. It is believed to have been illuminated by Jean Pucelle and is known for its intricate and grisaille figures and themes of charitable kingship.

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Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. lat. 18014

The Petites Heures is the first of six books of hours commissioned by Jean de Berry between 1375 and 1416. It was completed in two parts and reflects the two distinct styles of late 14th-century manuscript illumination: international Gothic and the followers of Jean Pucelle.

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Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, MS. Latin 9471

This manuscript was painted by the anonymous artist known as the Rohan Master between 1430 and 1435. It is renown for its dramatic and emotional expressionism in the figures of Christ and the Virgin.

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New York City, The Cloisters Collection, MS 54.1.1

The Belles Heures was created for Jean de Berry by the Limbourg brothers, probably in Paris. It includes customized cycles devoted to figures and events which were particularly significant for the duke.

Black and White and Color Unbound Plates with French Commentary

Chantilly, Musée Condé, MS.65

Out of the fifteen books of hours owned by Jean, Duc de Berry (1340-1416), the Tres Riches Heures are the most famous because of the extravagant size and miniature paintings, many of which depict his wealth and property. Unfortunately the manuscript was unfinished when the duke died and has remained incomplete.

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Les Miracles de Nostre Dame is a French manuscript of poems written by Gautier de Coincy, prior of Vic-sur-Aisne. The lighthearted poems are set to popular medieval music and praise the Virgin.

Black and White Facsimile with French Commentary

Black and White Unbound Plates with French Commentary

Black and White Unbound Plates with French Introduction

London, British Library, Sign. Add. MS 10546

The Moutier-Grandval Bible was produced around the year 840 at the Monaster of St. Martin in Tours. It is a large-format bible that contains four full-page miniatures.

Color Partial Facsimile with German Commentary