Under the Star of Bethlehem

24 Illuminated Manuscripts from the Middle Ages

Golden skies, dark blue cloaks and angels in white: the splendid colours of mediaeval manuscripts are still capable of astonishing us today. Impressive examples are presented in the exhibition »Under the Star of Bethlehem« in the State Hall of the Austrian National Library. Visitors can marvel at 24 magnificently illuminated works on the Christmas story, an outstanding testimony to the high level of the book art and spirituality of the Middle Ages.

The exhibition follows the chronology of the Gospels, beginning with the Annunciation to Mary, continuing through the Adoration of the Magi and the Slaughter of the Innocents and ending with the Flight into Egypt. These events frame the central scene of the Christmas story: the Birth of Christ in a humble stable, home to an ox and a donkey.