Renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson will discuss the Saint John’s Bible, the first handwritten illuminated manuscript of a complete Bible of its scale since the invention of the printing press, on Wednesday, September 5 at 7 p.m. at the Getty Center. In 1998, Saint John’s Abbey and University in Minnesota commissioned Jackson to produce this Bible, which was completed in 2011 and features calligraphy developed by Jackson, as well as lavishly decorated pages created by contemporary artists. The Saint John’s Bible is divided into seven volumes, has 160 illuminations, and cost $4 million to produce. Collaborating with a team of scholars, theologians, calligraphers and illuminators, Jackson used a mixture of techniques to create the Bible, including text handwritten with goose and turkey quills on calf-skin vellum, gold and platinum leaf, hand-ground pigments and Chinese stick ink. Computers and digital fonts were used to plan the layout. The original Bible and high-quality prints are currently touring various cities across the United States. In addition to the lecture, the course, ‘Illuminated Bibles Then and Now,’ will also be offered on September 5 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Getty Research Institute Lecture Hall. For admission ($30), call (310) 440-7300 or visit getty.edu.
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