Exhibition "Golden Picture Worlds" - Julia Bangert

What's it about?

Julia Bangert shows book illumination between the Middle Ages and the present. Opening on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 2 PM. The exhibition runs until October 31, 2026. Julia Bangert works for the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, where she hand-illuminates and gilds reproductions of the famous Gutenberg Bible, available in the museum shop, following original models. She also works as a freelance book illuminator, designing individually crafted initials, artfully decorated capital letters, and animal depictions. Inspired by historical models, she creates her own works in the medieval style, but also in a current contemporary style. In the exhibition, she presents a manuscript series with texts about animals in the style of a medieval bestiary. This was originally a moralizing poem that connected the characteristics of animals and mythical creatures with Christian salvation doctrine. The artist provides insights into her work process and shows step-by-step how book illuminations are created. She also presents reproductions of pages from the Gutenberg Bible that she herself illuminated. Museum admission.