ONE THINGS LEADS TO ANOTHER

I recently wrote about enluminures, manuscripts painstakingly painted by hand, often with gold leaf to provide beautiful contrasting highlights. Having discovered a local artist who was trained in this art, I commissioned a few pieces: two for my home and one as a gift.

As a result, I have a much deeper appreciation for enluminures, their production, and historical significance. Sharing the post with a friend, I was told about the St. John’s Bible, a project undertaken by Benedictine monks at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. I had never heard of the project, so I did some research.

For the first time in 500 years, since the invention of the printing press, a project to create an illuminated Bible began in 1998. By December 2011 the project was finished. A team of calligraphers guided by historians, theologians and other scholars and artists worked to bring the project to fruition. The estimated cost of the project was US$4 million. There are a number of YouTube videos of varying length describing the project and they are worth watching. Here is a link to the St. John’s project website.

I discovered that it is possible to buy the seven-volume Bible. Being a lover of art and having a certain spirituality, I decided to go for it. I was moved by this project and curious to see its product. The books arrived yesterday from the European distributor, Norwich Press in England.

I also ordered a DVD entitled The Illuminator interviewing the various individuals responsible for the project, including the master calligrapher, Donald Jackson. I watched it last night and it was mesmerizing.

Jackson is calligrapher for the Queen of England. The project was in fact his idea. Once approved and funded, he set up a workshop at his home in Monmouth, Wales. There were multiple exchanges between a committee of experts created at St. John’s Abbey and Mr. Jackson’s team. While most committees often get in the way, both Jackson and the committee found inspiration in their exchanges.

The intention was that the Bible would be written for the 21st century with modern language and artistic interpretation including contemporary symbolism. One example is an allusion to the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City lost on 9/11 in 2001. They also used cosmologic imagery from the Hubble Space telescope, Navajo basket weaving patterns, and microscopic views of viruses to convey the messaging of these ancient texts. Smithsonian Magazine called its creation “One of the extraordinary undertakings of our time.” And you get that feel when you look at the immensity of this project.

It is inspirational on many levels. The care and attention to the detail is extraordinary – much like that of the enluminures I now have. I wanted to see for myself and read each page to see what I could learn. I’ve never read the Bible in its entirety. Catholics don’t as a rule. But this is different and I look forward to engaging with this revolutionary publication.

There are several editions. The Apostles Edition is the most exclusive, limited to 12 copies and made available to major donors. The museum-quality Heritage Edition is the full-size fine art reproduction of the original measuring two feet tall by three feet wide when opened and is printed on vellum. Only 299 copies are available each at a price at US$165,000. The trade edition available to the broader public measures 10″ x 15″. It is still a treasure to behold.

It began with the discovery of an artist in my village which led to the creation of three beautiful pieces. Discussion about these pieces with a friend led to the awareness of the St. John’s Bible project. And now, I have this beautiful set of books with the likeness of exquisite jewels to come to know. Who knows what will be next?