The courtly and commercial art of the Wycliffite Bible

Abstract

<p>In this brief, but ambitious study, Kathleen Kennedy examines the art of the Wycliffite Bible, surveying its manuscripts to present something of a guide to the manner and means of its production, while elaborating on the details of the books' decoration. Kennedy argues that despite Archbishop Arundel's 1407 constitutions banning unauthorised vernacular bibles, the Wycliffite Bible was not illegal, was in fact a medieval bestseller, and should be understood as a normal and legitimate feature of the textual landscape in late medieval England.</p>