is one of the most famous and beautifully illuminated  pages in the world.

The dramatic 15-inch-tall initial "I" has
six miniatures depicting the six days of creation.

In the background the image of God
can be seen overlooking the work of
His hands.

The Gutenberg Bible has often been called the greatest book in the world. There is good and sufficient evidence for the claim. Marking the threshold of a new art form, this magnificent work was the first major book in the west to be printed with movable type.

The holy script was laid down using movable type
that had been cast to imitate the hand calligraphy
of the day. This Gothic style would have been
familiar to the reader and was printed in black ink.

To accomplish the color accents, Gutenberg left blank spaces for the later addition of the artistic letters.

The smaller of these beautiful ornamental accents are called rubrications, derived from the Latin rubrico, meaning to color red (although they were also commonly done in blue).

Once the rubrication was complete, the sheets could be further enhanced with ornate gold work and hand-painted margin decorations called illuminations. Margin decorations might include religious miniatures, dragons, peacocks, falcons and/or an array of medieval flowers

Because each Gutenberg Bible was completed by individual artists, no two bibles are alike. This is clearly seen by looking at the first page of Luke's Gospel from three different Gutenberg Bibles below.