768 illustrations. The masterwork of the Limbourgs with the greatest number of illuminations

• In art history the names of the Duke of Berry and of the Limbourg brothers are closely related. The duke was the most famous bibliophile of his time. The Limbourg brothers entered his service, as court painters, in 1405. A few years later they illuminated the Très Riches Heures of the Duke of Berry, their other masterpiece.

• Bound in red leather with gold ornaments and the arms of the French kings whose court library in Blois it entered during the reign of King Charles VIII.

• The back story to this edition dates from the late 1990s, when I first had occasion to consult the Western manuscript holdings in the Grande Réserve of France’s Bibliothèque Nationale. Accompanied by our publications director, Ana Docavo, we had come to determine if it would be feasible to undertake the facsimile publication of several of the illuminated codices that figure among the library’s holdings. Foremost among the candidates was the Ashburnham Pentateuch, which has recently been issued by this firm in a most splendid edition, and another manuscript, which is catalogued as français 166. While François Avril, at that time head of the department of manuscripts, allowed us to examine these codices, he emphasized that they were among the library’s greatest treasures and making them available as facsimiles would reap unstinting praise and recognition from both the academic world and from art lovers in general. It is scarcely necessary to say that his counsel was taken very much to heart.

• The greater part of these illuminations are credited to the celebrated Limbourg brothers. It is one of their earliest masterworks, the one with the greatest number of illuminations and the only one that – for purely technical, conservation - related reasons – had not yet been reproduced in facsimile, despite the many proposals that have been put forward over the years.

• Its history begins around 1402 when the Limbourg brothers entered the service of Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy, brother of Jean, duke of Berry and of King Charles V of France. Largely thanks to his exquisite taste, refinement, passion and experience as a patron of the arts, we might venture to say that Philip played the role of talent spotter in the “discovery” of Herman, Paul and Jean de Limbourg. The duke of Burgundy commissioned them to illuminate the present Bible moralisée, in which Holy Scripture is exemplified and its moral significance made clear by means of illustrated medallions and an accompanying explicatory text.

• Their illuminations amount to by far the most ambitious attempt ever undertaken to interpret the Bible by means of illustration and explanation. The facsimile at hand reproduces the first six volumes - the really attractive ones. The experts’ consensus, with which we entirely concur, is that the remainder of the work is of no artistic interest whatsoever.

• I must express my gratitude to the current head of the department of manuscripts, Thierry Delcourt, for his invaluable assistance, support and confidence in our publishing venture and in myself, personally, in undertaking the facsimile publication of this work. I am indebted to his passion for art, along with a desire to see that the Limbourg brothers receive the full recognition they so richly deserve as geniuses of the international Gothic style.

• Single edition limited to 999 copies, numbered and individually authenticated by notary public.

• First National Award for the Best Edited Facsimile for Patrimonio Ediciones. Decision of the Spanish Ministry of Culture. 05/17/2011.

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  Ashburnham Pentateuch

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  The Grandes Heures of the Duke of Berry

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  The Bible of San Paolo

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Customer and expert reviews

Michel J.

Merci pour ce magnifique ouvrage.

Luigi R.

Carissimi, oggi sono arrivati i pacchi della moralizzata, che come tutti i vostri libri sono molto belli, COMPLIMENTI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emmanuelle Toulet

Je vous remercie de l'envoi de vos magnifiques fac-similés et de votre catalogue. J'apprécie beaucoup la qualité de votre travail. Emmanuelle Toulet Conservateur en chef de la bibliothèque et des archives Château de Chantilly

Jaime O.

He recibido el facsímil de la Biblia Moralizada: Este nuevo estuche me gusta más que los anteriores. El facsímil es fantástico. Te estas poniendo unas exigencias difíciles de superar. ¡Enhorabuena!

Charo F.

Es realmente magnifico, felicidades por hacer algo tan bello y perfecto.

Pedro K.

Enhorabuena, y muy merecido el premio. La Biblia Moralizada de los Limbourg esta sobesalientemente bien reproducida.

Pedro M.

Estimado amigo, Mi más sincera enhorabuena. Es una justa recompensa al magnífico trabajo llevado a cabo por la editorial, en esa y en todas y cada una de las obras publicadas en tu fondo editorial. Atentamente,

Pedro K.

Primeras impresiones: el facsimil sobresaliente; uno de los mejores jamas editados. El libro de estudios parece interesante pero falta una traduccion del texto. Tendrias una disponible para enviarme, en un apartado?
Pronto te escribire con mis impresiones mas detalladas. Pero la Biblia en si es una soberbia reproduccion de un codice fantastico.

Enhorabuena.

Pedro K.

Otras dos largas miradas a la Biblia Moralizada de los Limbourg. Me he quedado sin aliento. Esto es algo para disfrutarlo durante anos. Cada una de las 768 miniaturas es una joya. El original debe de ser el codice mas bello del medioevo. Y tu facsimil me parece un candidato muy fuerte para el mejor reproducido de todos los tiempos.

Otra vez, enhorabuena.