medieval russian ornament in full color
The exhibition "The Gospel of Isaac Birev" is the first in the joint project of the Andrey Rublev Museum and the Russian State Library: "Literary Treasures of the Trinity Sergius Lavra." This outstanding specimen of medieval Russian bookmaking from the holdings of the RSL is considered one of the best works of renowned calligraphist Isaac Birev (late 15th—first half of the 16th century), whose fate, caught up in the whirlpool of tempestuous events surrounding the reign of Ivan III, his son Vasily III, and his grandson Ivan IV ("the Terrible"), became intertwined with many illustrious people of that time. .This Gospel from 1531 became the standard for scribers, iconographers, and the first Moscow printers. Its astonishingly beautiful penmanship served as the basis for the fonts used in early book printing, while the use of Israhel van Meckenem's "Large Majuscule Alphabet" in the illuminations laid the foundation for the early printing style of Old Russian ornamentation. The Gospel miniatures, which have their origins in the works of Theodosius, son of the renowned iconographer Dionysius, are a vivid testimonial to the superb craftsmanship of the Moscow icon painters of the time. The ornate pages of script presented in this catalog allow one to experience the harmonious beauty of this masterpiece of medieval Russian bookmaking. .
