Borso d'Este Bible
The Bible of Borso d'Este is a two-volume illuminated manuscript. The miniatures, created by Taddeo Crivelli and others, were executed between 1455 and 1461. The manuscript is currently preserved in the Biblioteca Estense di Modena.
History
The Bible of Borso d'Este is considered one of the most remarkable illuminated manuscripts of the Renaissance. It was produced over a period of six years by a team of artists led by Taddeo Crivelli and Franco dei Russi.Originally housed in Ferrara, the manuscript was transferred to Modena in 1598, following the relocation of the ducal court. It remained in Modena until the dissolution of the duchy in 1859, after which it was taken—along with other valuable treasures of the royal house—by Francesco V into exile.
The Bible was later recovered during the First World War, when it was acquired by Italian senator Giovanni Treccani. He subsequently donated the manuscript to the Biblioteca Estense, where it remains today.
Description and style
Each page of the Bible is adorned with an elegant frame composed of scrolls and various ornamental motifs, enclosing two columns of text. The margins are richly decorated with miniature scenes, particularly in the lower portions, where perspectival compositions reflect the influence of contemporary developments in Renaissance painting.Additional illustrations appear between the columns of text, often adjacent to illuminated initials or capital letters. The volutes in the corners frequently feature animals rendered with vivid imagination—an element characteristic of the courtly aesthetic of the period—and often incorporate heraldic symbols associated with Borso d'Este and his family.