Gutenberg Bible
Gutenberg's masterpiece, the 42-line Bible
The 42-line Bible (B 42) is considered the crowning achievement of Gutenberg's printing art. The two-volume work with a total of 1,282 pages was created at the height of his career with the help of around 20 employees. Gutenberg cast 290 different characters for this Bible. The colored initials and symbols were added later by an illuminator and a rubricator.
Of the 180 copies, 150 were probably printed on paper and the remaining 30 on more precious parchment. Today, 49 copies still exist, two of which are owned by the Gutenberg Museum. With this Bible, which is still one of the most beautiful printed books in the world today, Gutenberg proved that the "nova forma scribendi" was aesthetically equivalent to the manuscripts that were at their peak at the time. The development of the black art brought about a revolution in the world of writing. The dissemination of knowledge and scientific findings also promoted economic progress and became a milestone on the road to the modern age.