Abstrakt
The article presents atmosphere of book culture in Prague during Francisk Skorina local activity (1517-1519). The heritage of incunabula printers in Prague was modest.
Observing simple late gothic typography of Prague incunabula without different type sizes or type cuts, lacking in marginal notes, inscriptions, titles or initials we assume that the rise of readers of lower and middle bourgeoisie was slower and delayed compared to foreign countries. The analysis of Utraquist and Hebrew book-print implicates that there was active rental print-shop in Prague which Skorina might have used.
The important finding is that to the Prague enviroment, from the editorial and book-print point of view rigid enviroment, Skorina came equipped with the knowledge of the foreign typography and that the compositor of the Russian Bible was able to use the whole visual apparatus known in foreign countries. The analysis of the Jagellonian book culture also proved, that the illustrations cycle might have been created according to the Skorina's precise instructions by several Prague drawers (among them the Mistr IP) and one woodcutter (Mistr jemné šrafury - Master of Fine Hatch).
Important christological element of illustrations is composed by emblema (so far supposed as Skorina's signet) and two graphic symbols, all together showing to the reader the iferiority of the Old Testament to the New Testament. Influence of Dürer's Apocalypse (1498) is clear.
Master of Skorina's Decoration is the author of the title leaf and ornamental bands. Most of initials were created by the Master of Burleigh's Border.
We may suppose that the mentioned artists made also the series of vignettes. Skorina also introduced the progressive typography and new concept of the illustration cycle of the Bible, independent on the then typization.
We observe that Prague Utraquist book-print was rigid compared to the compositions standards of foreign book production and to the Hebrew books and Russian Bible.