Bibles And Magnificence On Display At New York’s Morgan Library
For centuries, the Bible has been central to the spread of Christianity. In the West, Bibles have been a symbol of faith and very often also art. It’s the reason why J. Pierpont Morgan collected these sacred texts in the form of illuminated manuscripts, drawings and early printed books.
The American financier and investment bank acquired every object on display currently at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. As the library and museum notes on its website, Morgan “appreciated magnificence in all forms of artistic expression.”
In fact, the exhibition includes masterpieces in mediums “as diverse as clay, papyrus, parchment, embroidery, champlevé enamel, repoussé gold, carved ivory and maiolica,” from Mesopotamian times through to the 17th century, the museum noted.
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Now through Jan. 21, the collection — under an exhibition titled “Morgan's Bibles: Splendor in Scripture” — serves as a voyage through time as these sacred texts reveal the power of faith, the veneration such texts evoke and Morgan’s love for such treasures.
Morgan, a towering figure during the late 1800s, was not only a successful financier and industrialist but also a passionate collector of art and literature. Among his many acquisitions during his lifetime, one of the most notable and intriguing was his collection of rare Bibles, a testament to his appreciation for the religious and historical significance of these texts.
The exhibit also includes prints by Dutch master Rembrandt depicting the life of Jesus and the “Golden Gospels of Henry VIII,” created by scribes in a Benedictine abbey in Germany.
Golden Gospels of Henry VIII (Photo courtesy of The Morgan Library and Museum)
“This was (Morgan’s) principle ambition as a book collector,” said Colin Bailey, who serves as the director of the Morgan Library and Museum, “and as he grew in means and stature and experience, he was able to acquire some of the very greatest examples on the market, and now they’re at Morgan Library and Museum.”
Morgan’s love for rare Bibles
Born in 1837 into a wealthy family, Morgan, a lifelong Episcopalian, inherited a substantial fortune from his father, Junius Spencer Morgan. However, it was through his own business acumen that he would acquire a massive fortune.
In the process, he became one of the most powerful men in the financial world. In his spare time, Morgan’s interests extended beyond making money. He became an art collector with a focus on books. He also became a philanthropist.
J.P. Morgan, a businessman and philanthropist, spend his lifetime collecting Bibles. (Library of Congress photo)
Morgan’s fascination with Bibles, which also included rare books, led him to assemble a world-class collection that included works of literature and illuminated manuscripts. For Morgan, amassing Bibles was a way for him to connect his collecting to his Christian faith.
To this day, the library remains the only place in the world to house three Gutenburg Bibles. Only one of Morgan’s Gutenberg Bibles is on display.
Historians have said that Morgan’s interest in Bibles went beyond the sacred. In fact, he saw them as artifacts embodying the evolution of language, the development of printing technology and the cultural diversity of societies throughout history.
Biblia Latina by Gutenberg (Photo courtesy of The Morgan Library and Museum)
Morgan’s vast Bible collection comprised rare and valuable editions, spanning centuries and continents. One of the prized possessions was the Gutenberg Bible, also known as the “42-line Bible,” printed by Johannes Gutenberg in 1455. This masterpiece of printing marked the start of movable type.
Experts said Gutenberg and his successors printed between 120 and 135 copies of the Bible on paper and another 40 to 45 copies on vellum, a fine parchment used at the time. Nearly 50 copies survive, though not all are in good condition.
Morgan’s interest in sacred books wasn’t limited to the West. It also extended to examples from different cultures and religions. He collected Hebrew Bibles, ancient manuscripts and even Qurans, recognizing the importance of understanding the diverse faith traditions that helped shape history.
Following Morgan's death in 1913, his vast collection — including the remarkable Bible collection currently on public display — was left to the public. These days, the Morgan Library and Museum, established to house and display these literary treasures, stands as a lasting legacy to his passion for the arts.
The Morgan Library and Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. To buy tickets, visit www.themorgan.org/visit.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.