The Huntington Reunites Rare 15th-Century Print with Gutenberg Bible

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens has acquired the exceptionally rare 15th-century devotional print Christ on the Mount of Olives, reuniting it with the institution’s prized Gutenberg Bible. Printed in the late 1450s or early 1460s, the illustration was bound within The Huntington’s copy of the Bible by an early owner shortly after the book was finished. The Bible and the print remained together for nearly four centuries before being separated in 1825 by an auctioneer. This acquisition brings together one of the world’s most influential books with its early pictorial insert for the first time in 200 years. The print will be on public display from March 12 through May 26, 2025, in the Library Exhibition Hall, alongside the Gutenberg Bible—a landmark in printing history that revolutionized the spread of knowledge.

Henry E. Huntington acquired the Gutenberg Bible at a 1911 auction for $55,000—equivalent to more than $1.8 million today. The record-breaking purchase cemented his reputation as a premier collector of rare books. Today, the Bible remains a highlight of The Huntington’s core collections.

“Designed to mimic a traditional handwritten manuscript, The Huntington’s Gutenberg Bible combines innovative printed text with exquisite hand-illuminated initials and border decorations, and now we know our Bible also had printed illustrations pasted in,” said Sandra Brooke Gordon, Avery Director of the Library. “Reuniting the print with The Huntington’s Bible deepens our understanding of this landmark of printing—how it was used and valued—enriching both scholarship and public appreciation.”

Rare and Remarkable

The devotional print depicts Christ in prayer on the night before his crucifixion. Latin inscriptions, like modern-day speech bubbles, convey the scene’s dramatic tension. In the upper right, Judas, holding a money bag, leads soldiers to arrest Christ, saying, “He whom I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him” (Matthew 26:48). In the upper left, an angel urges Christ to remain steadfast as he prays: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). Meanwhile, his disciples sleep nearby, and at the bottom of the print, an inscription reads: “And His sweat became like drops of blood running onto the ground” (Luke 22:44).

Christ on the Mount of Olives is one of three prints originally affixed inside the covers of The Huntington’s Gutenberg Bible, likely placed there by an early owner of the book. Created using the Schrotschnitt or “dotted metal cut” technique—an early metal plate printing method with hand-applied color—the print is a rare and remarkable example of this antiquated printing style.

Renewed Scholarly Interest

When the Gutenberg Bible was put up for sale in 1825, an auctioneer removed the three prints and sold them separately. Christ on the Mount of Olives remained in private hands for nearly two centuries before resurfacing in a family collection. It is now the earliest known example of this print style in The Huntington’s holdings.

The acquisition has renewed scholarly interest in the Gutenberg Bible. “The Bible is not a dead museum piece; it still holds surprises for those who look closely enough,” said Stephen Tabor, curator of rare books. “That’s exactly what we’ve been doing in recent months—inspired by the return of the Christ on the Mount of Olives. Our discoveries about our Gutenberg Bible’s history and unique features have been accelerating ever since.”

An Enduring Legacy

Produced by Johann Gutenberg (ca. 1397–1468) in the 1450s, the Gutenberg Bible was the first substantial book printed with movable type in the West. Before then, European texts were copied by hand, making books expensive and rare. Printing with cast-metal type revolutionized book production, making knowledge more accessible and fueling a renaissance of learning and religious reform.

Though inventors in Asia had developed movable metal type at least 80 years earlier, woodblock printing remained the dominant method there due to the complexities of non-alphabetic scripts. Gutenberg’s system, however, made books in Europe more affordable and widely available. Of the estimated 48 complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible that still survive today, only 12 were printed on vellum (calfskin)—a luxury at the time. Only three vellum copies reside in the United States, housed at The Huntington, the Library of Congress, and the Morgan Library & Museum.

Gutenberg scholar Eric White, the Scheide Librarian and assistant university librarian for special collections, rare books, and manuscripts at Princeton University, considers The Huntington’s Gutenberg Bible “the most beautiful copy in the world.”

The Huntington’s Library Collections

The Huntington Library holds some 12 million items, including nearly 500,000 books from the hand-press era before 1800, making the institution one of the world’s richest resources for the printed record. Each year, The Huntington welcomes approximately 2,000 scholars from more than 30 countries, roughly 150 of whom receive fellowships to conduct research in the collections.

The Library’s holdings include major historical and literary works—from Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Mary Shelley to Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jack London. The Library also preserves key 20th-century literary archives, including the papers of Christopher Isherwood, Eve Babitz, Thomas Pynchon, and Octavia E. Butler.

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About The Huntington

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a cultural and educational institution of global significance. Building on Henry E. and Arabella Huntington’s renowned collections, The Huntington supports research and promotes education in the arts, humanities, and botanical science through the growth and preservation of its collections; the development of a community of scholars, school programs, and partnerships; and the display and interpretation of its extraordinary resources for diverse audiences. The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Visitor information: huntington.org