Eberhard König

Born in Grebenstein, Germany, in 1947, Eberhard König is a German art historian specializing in illuminated manuscripts and the decoration of incunables. He studied art history, classical archaeology, history, and Egyptology in Bonn, Tübingen, Paris, and Oxford, and earned his doctorate at the University of Bonn with research on French book illumination around 1450.

He taught art history at Freie Universität Berlin and became especially well known for scholarship on medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. His books include studies of major works such as The Bedford Hours, and his writing is often praised for showing how manuscripts were planned, painted, and used.

König's work is a good fit for readers who enjoy the meeting point of art, history, and books. He has spent much of his career helping modern audiences see illuminated manuscripts not as distant treasures behind glass, but as lively works shaped by makers, patrons, and centuries of careful looking.