Books and Religion

I came across this painting which I find fascinating. Painted in 1509 by Jean Bellegambe (active from 1504-1534), this triptych is titled The Le Cellier Altarpiece and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York City.



It is the centerpiece which caught my eye. This is believed to have been painted in 1509, seventy years after Johannes Gutenberg's initial invention of the printing press in 1439.




Look at all the books in this scene. Only seventy years. This seems to capture early evidence of that delicate tipping point where books, rationality and broad based discourse substantially intersected with a predominately religious world view. The painting is beautiful in its own right (I particularly am attracted to the use of colors, the light and the architectural sense of perspective) but it seems to be a harbinger as well.