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Johannes Gutenberg

Gutenberg Bible Leaf

1454/55
Letterpress in black with initials in red and blue on ivory laid paper
28.7 × 19.3 cm (11.3 × 7.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

As the first book printed in the Western world using movable type, the Gutenberg Bible is justifiably famous. Copies of the complete book are so exceptionally rare that there are only a handful in the United States and none in the Chicago area. Yet this single sheet has long been part of the Art Institute’s collection, hidden within a 1921 “leaf book” that also includes an explanatory essay discussing this “noble fragment.” This page originated from a copy of the Gutenberg Bible lacking the first volume, which was disbound by the noted book dealer Gabriel Wells. Each isolated page has thus become a holy relic of sorts to the bibliographers of early printing.

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