Vehicles of propaganda: analysis uncovers new secrets in Tudor Bibles
Specialist heritage science techniques have unearthed new secrets hidden within 16th-century Great Bibles, once owned by Henry VIII and his chief minister Thomas Cromwell.
The two Bibles have been reunited for the first time in nearly 500 years for a new exhibition at the National Library of Wales. A rare opportunity to analyse the copies side-by-side has revealed striking differences, offering new insights into the tumultuous Reformation period of Tudor England.
The analysis, led by experts from Cambridge University Library and Queen Mary University of London, is being conducted as part of the Hidden in Plain Sight project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project uses advanced heritage science technologies to explore how ancient religious books have been altered, censored and venerated over time.
Dr Harry Spillane, Munby Fellow, Cambridge University Library, consulting the two Bibles © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
Dr Harry Spillane, Munby Fellow, Cambridge University Library, consulting the two Bibles © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
The significance of the Great Bible is immeasurable. It played a significant role in Cromwell’s campaign for religious reform.
After gaining Henry VIII’s support, the royal decree for its dissemination across the realm marks one of the very first instances of a mass media revolution in England and Wales.
This was the first Bible in the English language to be placed in every parish church in England and Wales, giving people access to the Scriptures like never before. For many, it was the first time they could hear the words of the Bible in their own language.
Despite access being restricted after Cromwell’s execution, production of bibles continued to grow after Henry’s death, and it eventually became the most printed book of the era.
The two presentation copies prepared for Henry and Cromwell, although produced at the same time, are heavily embellished and hand-coloured, giving rise to numerous differences.
The two volumes, one now held at the National Library of Wales and the other at St. John’s College, Cambridge, have long been studied by scholars but it is only now with the deployment of ground-breaking heritage science techniques that some of these distinct differences and their historical significance have been revealed.
Dr Suzanne Paul, Project Co-lead and Keeper of Rare Books and Early Manuscripts at Cambridge University Library explains:
“Comparing the Bibles side-by-side opened up exciting new paths of discovery in real time and proved how surprisingly individualistic printed texts can be.
In this case, they offer a remarkable insight into how the Bibles were strategically used as vehicles of propaganda within the Tudor Court.”
Previous analysis revealed Cromwell’s portrait had been pasted onto the title page of St John’s Great Bible in Cambridge. The careful alteration is believed to depict a closer affinity between monarch and advisor, whilst also positioning him in a pacifying position under the King.[i]
Close-up of Thomas Cromwell's portrait pasted onto the St John's Great Bible's title page.
Close-up of Thomas Cromwell's portrait pasted onto the St John's Great Bible's title page.
Further close examination has revealed an image of a courtly woman altered to resemble Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s recently deceased queen consort and third wife.
Close-up of figure resembling Jane Seymour.
Close-up of figure resembling Jane Seymour.
In the build-up to the exhibition, the project team were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to conduct analysis on both copies together.
Dr Suzanne Paul, Dr Flavia Fiorillo and Dr Harry Spillane made the journey to Aberystwyth to utilise techniques such as X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Fibre Optic Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS), with an ultimate goal to understand the ways in which this pair of Bibles are at once similar and different, and what this uncovers about their production and intended use.
Professor Eyal Poleg (QMUL), expert in the early modern Bible and leader of the Hidden in Plain Sight Project reveals that,
"The two Bibles were at the epicentre of Tudor religion and politics. Their scientific and historical analysis provides a rare glimpse into Cromwell’s mindset as he was trying to manage the mercurial Henry.
Our study is revealing hidden modifications and hitherto unknown elements in their production. It sheds new light on the intersection of religion and politics at one of the most engaging periods in English history. The ability to see these two Bibles together, after being separated for 500 years, is a fantastic opportunity."
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy in action to determine the chemical elements present in the paint layers. © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy in action to determine the chemical elements present in the paint layers. © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
Dr Flavia Fiorillo, Heritage Scientist, Cambridge University Library, conducting the XRF analysis © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
Dr Flavia Fiorillo, Heritage Scientist, Cambridge University Library, conducting the XRF analysis © Angharad Bache / National Library of Wales
Multiple teams of artists were involved in decorating the Bibles starting in Paris before moving to London. Dr Suzanne Paul explains:
"Even though the artists didn't leave their signatures in the books, their individual palettes of pigments serve as their artistic signatures and through enacting these techniques it may allow us to distinguish, and possibly even identify, the different workshops involved."
Moreover, careful analysis by the project team explored how some of the printed pages were removed and replaced by high quality handwritten facsimiles. This new discovery highlights both the skill of early modern illuminators and the attention lavished on the creation of these books.
Halfway through its three-year span, this collaborative project will continue to bring history and science together to reveal the secrets of premodern sacred texts, including those contained in this beautiful pair of Bibles.
The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Images of the Great Bible, Paris/London 1538/9, by permission of the Master and Fellows of St John’s College, Cambridge.
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