Martin Luther - Das Newe Testament - 1630-1950

MERIAN BIBLE 1630 – FACSIMILE OF THE ILLUSTRATED NEW TESTAMENT BY MARTIN LUTHER WITH THE FAMOUS ENGRAVINGS BY MATTHÄUS MERIAN
Magnificent facsimile of Luther's Bible New Testament in the Strasbourg edition of 1630, published by Lazarus Zetzner’s heirs and universally known as Merian Bible, for the celebrated cycle of engravings by Matthäus Merian the Elder. The volume faithfully reproduces one of the illuminated copies preserved at the Württemberg State Library in Stuttgart, with finely hand-colored copper engravings, a title page adorned with gilding, and a sumptuous full-leather binding with dry impressions and gold, metal clasps, and gold edges. Considered one of the peaks of seventeenth-century illustrated publishing, the Merian Bible represents the meeting point of art, theology, and grand Baroque engraving.
WHY TO BUY
- Static reproduction of one of the most celebrated illustrated Bibles of the seventeenth century.
- Magnificent plates by Matthäus Merian, among Europe’s foremost engravers.
- Colors faithfully reproduced from the historical illuminated exemplar.
- Large format with extraordinary impact.
- Elegant full-leather binding with metal clasps and rich decorations.
- Essential work for collectors of Bibles, antique engraving, and Baroque art.

MARKET VALUE
These high-quality facsimiles have been produced in limited runs by specialized German publishers (Coron Verlag / Müller & Schindler) and enjoy a stable market among book-art collectors. Complete copies, in excellent condition and with intact clasps, typically exchange hands between €450 and €650.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Full-leather brown binding richly impressed in blind and in gold, with decorative metal corner pieces and two metal clasps. Reproduction of the New Testament from the Strasbourg edition of 1630 with a color frontispiece, full-page plates drawn from Matthäus Merian’s engravings, and text set in two columns according to the original. One metal clasp damaged. In old books, with a multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. pp. (2); 536; 4nn; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Das Newe Testament.
Reproduction of the edition published in Strasbourg in 1630 by Lazarus Zetzner’s heirs.
Durch D. Martin Luther. Illustrations by Matthäus Merian der Ältere.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The so-called Merian Bible constitutes one of the most important monuments of seventeenth-century Protestant publishing. For the first time, Luther’s translation text was accompanied by the grand illustrative cycle engraved by Matthäus Merian, an artist renowned for topographic precision and the narrative elegance of his compositions. The plates are not merely ornamental; they guide the reader through the history of salvation with a figurative language that was extremely modern for the era. The hand-colored original copies are today extremely rare and preserved in major European libraries.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Martin Luther (1483–1546) was the leading German reformer and author of the famous German-language Bible translation, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the modern language.
Matthäus Merian the Elder (1593–1650) was one of Europe’s greatest engravers of the seventeenth century, author of the monumental Topographia Germaniae and numerous illustrated cycles on historical and religious subjects. His engravings represent a pinnacle of Baroque graphic art.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The original edition was printed in Strasbourg in 1630 by Lazarus Zetzner’s heirs, an important Protestant publishing family. Some copies from the period were hand-colored with particular refinement. This facsimile reproduces one of these rare copies, preserving its format, colorings, gilding, and layout.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Merian-Bibel 1630.
Ziereis Facsimiles, Matthew Merian's Bible of 1630 – New Testament.
Google Books, Biblia. Das ist: Die gantze Schrifft Alten und Newen Testaments, Strasbourg, Lazarus Zetzner Erben, 1630.
Dorotheum, auction results for the Merian Bible facsimile.