(Image from saint johnsbible.org)
A visit to St Martin's in the Fields this week for a candlelit concert led to an unexpected treat, in a viewing of some reproduction pages from the St John's Bible. I am not religious, so this could be a well-known project in the Christian community, but it was new to me. Hand-lettered, with quill pens on vellum, and illustrated with pigments used in medieval manuscripts. The reproduction pages on paper are absolutely breathtaking, both the calligraphy and the illustrations, so the originals , on vellum, must be startlingly vivid.
Many artists collaborated on this project and I am particularly struck by the pages by Suzanne Moore, combining text with image. It is possible to look through the bible on line but the colours are a pale imitation of reality.
If you are in Trafalgar Square, it is worth going in to see the East window, a remarkable piece of art by female artist, Shirazeh Houshiary, and to visit the great cafe in the crypt.
You get to such great places! I walked past that church on two separate occasions in March, but never thought to go in, next time!!!!
ReplyDelete