Modern Day Scribes

Have you ever heard of Makoto Fujimura? I had not. While reading through my morning emails, (one of which is Desiring God's Blog) I learned of this man.

He is an artist, writer, and founder of International Arts Movement. He has had over 100 exhibits worldwide, and from 2003-2009 was Presidentially appointed to the National Council on the Arts. An ordained elder (on sabbatical) at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Mako and his wife, Judy, raised their three children in lower Manhattan.

Being somewhat gifted in the visual arts, I was fascinated to also learn that he was commissioned to work on a wonderful project--"The Four Holy Gospels"--had not heard about that either.

The Four Holy Gospels stands in the historic stream of the beautifully hand-illuminated editions of the Gospels created many centuries ago. This exquisite and unique modern edition carries on a classic tradition, beautifully combining the words of the Gospels and original art, inspired by the text, and brilliantly executed for the glory of God. It is an exquisitely designed and produced edition of the four canonical Gospels in the English Standard Version, published in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Version (KJV) Bible in 1611.

The Four Holy Gospels features newly commissioned original paintings representing the four Gospel Evangelists, illuminated initial letters, and other embellishments and design elements, printed in full color throughout and on high-quality art paper. The text of the Gospels is reproduced in a highly readable, large font; ideally suited for public reading, liturgical use, and as a family heirloom.

Wow! Now that is art at it's finest. What a blessing to use a gift in this manner. In this same article on Makoto Fujimura and The Four Holy Gospels, I learned of another project that has been completed, that I had never heard of; and, although I would not be in agreement with the ecumenical emphasis of the project, I am delighted to learn that there are people out there who are actually using their God given gifts to produce such beauty.

The blog post states:

It is amazing, and rather disappointing, that no other artist has illumined the four Gospels for over 400 years! The only effort that comes close is The Saint John’s Bible project—a magnificent work of calligraphy and illustrations.

So I looked up that project. Here is an example of the completed work from one of my favorite passages in Ezekiel:

























How was it done?

Initial Design
A computer is used to size text and define line breaks. The two foot by three foot pages of each volume are laid out in full-size spreads. This enables scribes to work on pages simultaneously, maintain consistency and avoid awkwardly breaking words.

Calligraphy
The script used in The Saint John’s Bible was designed by Donald Jackson with three qualities in mind. The text had to be readable, modern, and appropriately dignified for the Bible. Subtle differences in the final script mark the work of the six individual scribes on the project.

Illuminations
A schema put together by Donald Jackson and the Committee on Illumination and Text tells which passages will be illuminated and designates the size of each illumination. Many illuminations are commissioned to artists or the result of collaboration between Donald Jackson and additional artists, who says:

“When I was a nine-year-old, desire led me to copying ancient scripts and decorated letters. I loved the feel of the pen as it touched the page and the breathtaking effect of the flow of colored ink as its wetness caught the light.”