An exceedingly rare 15th-century print of Christ on the eve of his crucifixion—once affixed inside The Huntington’s copy of the Gutenberg Bible—was for sale in London. Would he be interested?
Tabor thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
Several months of research, export-license delays, and fundraising ensued. Finally, in September, the hand-colored relief print, roughly the size of a sheet of typing paper, arrived by courier, sealed in a “wooden casket befitting a lost ark,” as Tabor put it.
The print is one of three originally pasted inside the Bible’s covers, likely by an early owner in the 15th century. Two identical Christ on the Mount of Olives prints—the one now at The Huntington and the other at the University of Manchester—were accompanied by Crucifixion, twice as large but sadly damaged, now housed in the British Museum. When the Bible was auctioned in 1825, these prints were removed and sold individually, destined to travel separately for the next two centuries.
Reunited with The Huntington’s Gutenberg Bible, the print is on view in the Library Exhibition Hall from March 12 through May 26, 2025. This rare display offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness two cultural treasures side by side.
Main Image: Christ on the Mount of Olives. Metal-cut relief print, hand-colored. Germany, ca. 1455–1465. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
