Centuries ahead of their time, the Bernward Doors, two monumental bronze doors of the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany, depict eight scenes from the Book of Genesis and eight from the Gospels. Saint Bernward, the 13th bishop of Hildesheim, was both an artist and scholar. He initially commissioned the more than 15-foot-tall doors in 1015 for the Abbey Church of St. Michael in Hildesheim, Germany, but they have since moved to the Cathedral of Hildesheim. Similar metal doors—with figural scenes from the Bible in panels—would later grace the exteriors of churches throughout Europe. The Old Testament scenes appear on the […]
