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The history of the Vienna Genesis and
former interventions since 1664
Christa Hofmann, Sophie Rabitsch
Introduction
The origins and the history of the Vienna Genesis until 1664 remain for large parts in the
dark. By studying the materials, the manufacture and the condition of the manuscript the
aim of the project was to complement the conclusions of art historians, palaeographers
and codicologists as well as to provide the basis for further studies. This chapter gives an
account of the documented history, which starts with the integration of the manuscript in
the Court Library in 1664. The following chapters will describe the findings on parchment,
inks, colours and treatments in detail.
Origins and early history
The Greek manuscript of the Book of Genesis was written in silver ink in Maiuscula bib-
lica on purple dyed parchment. The codex was probably custom-made for a private owner
rather than for liturgical use1. 24 folios with 48 miniatures – one on each page – have
survived. Otto Mazal assumes that according to the missing sections of the biblical text
the original manuscript comprised 96 folios with 192 miniatures2. Every page is divided
between the text and a narrative cycle of miniature paintings. The slightly shortened text
and the miniatures were well adjusted to one another. Precious materials employed like
purple-dyed parchment, silver ink and the pigment ultramarine as well as the high quality
of manufacture and artistic expression point to a large commission designed for a wealthy
patron. Stylistic references, especially the comparison with the Codex Rossanensis, point
to an origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. Major cities that could have provided the ne-
cessary skills for such an ambitious artistic endeavour were Antioch or Constantinople.
Notes by later owners in Italian on folio 1, page 1 and 2, written in Humanist Italic explain
the content of the miniatures3. On several folios transfers from strips of Latin manuscripts
1 Mazal, 1980, p. 189.
2 Mazal, 1980, p. 27.
3 Mazal, 1980, p. 189.
Open-Access-Publikation im Sinne der CC-Lizenz BY 4.0
The Vienna Genesis
Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Title
- The Vienna Genesis
- Subtitle
- Material analysis and conservation of a Late Antique illuminated manuscript on purple parchment
- Editor
- Christa Hofmann
- Publisher
- Böhlau Verlag
- Location
- Wien
- Date
- 2020
- Language
- English
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- ISBN
- 978-3-205-21058-0
- Size
- 17.3 x 24.5 cm
- Pages
- 348