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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.
List of contents
I. Studying the Velislav Bible: An Overview, II. Text and Image in the Velislav Bible: To the Interpretation of an Illuminated Codex, III. The Velislav Bible in the Context of the Late Medieval Biblical Narratives and Mnemotechnics, IV. The Books of Genesis and Exodus in the Picture Bibles: Looking for an Audience, V. Life of Antichrist in the Velislav Bible, VI. Ostensio thesaurum Antichristi: Iconography of the Pictorial Narrative Vita Antichristi in the Velislav Bible, VII. Ibi predicit hominibus: Searching for the Practical Function of the Velislav Bible, VIII. Edition of the Tituli, Primary Sources, Bibliography, List of Manuscripts, List of Illustrations, General Index
About the author
Lenka Panu.ková has been working at the Department of Medieval Art of Institute of Art History, Czech Academy of Sciences since 2009. In her career, she has taught at the Charles University and University in Ostrava. Her main areas of interest include medieval iconography, female spirituality, illuminated manuscripts and their functions, astronomy and astrology in the Middle Ages and the art of Anglo-Saxon England.
