Details
CHRIST THE REDEEMER. Historiated initial R from a LARGE-FORMAT ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ANTIPHONAL ON VELLUM. [Venice?, c. 1380].
180 x 140 mm. (7 x 5 1/2 in.), with extensions; miniatures in colors and liquid gold depicting Christ, full-length, clothed in a red tunic and a cloak of liquid gold lined in green, showing the stigmata, making a gesture of blessing, and holding a book, crowned by a pair of small angels, one in red, one in liquid gold, with a second pair of angels supporting his feet; the whole on a blue ground within an initial R in blue-gray, pink, blue, and green, the bow and leg of the R each incorporating the monochrome representation of a pair of fantastic creatures, one pair with human heads, the other a pair of dragons with intertwined necks, the back of the R including a grotesque face in green, a blue whorl and two elaborate blue and green knots; all on a burnished gold ground, with a portion of a leafy border in red, pink, blue and green; on the verso, portions of three lines of music (square black neumes on red four-line staves) with text in red and black ink in large gothic rotunda script. Occasional flaking of colors, slight rubbing of gold, the face of one angel blurred; tipped to a velvet backing.
Though he never subjected it to serious study, Sir John Pope-Hennessy believed, as did most of his scholar-friends, that this cutting was Venetian. There are, however, certain anomalies of the figure style which have led some to suppose that it might actually be Tuscan in origin. Regardless of its place of origin, this illumination, which is the most beautiful and well-preserved in the Pope-Hennessy collection, and which has never been published, certainly dates from the last quarter of the trecento.
The initial, originally on the verso of the leaf, introduced the text Rex pacificus magnificatus est, cuius vultum desiderat universa terra, the first antiphon for First Vespers of Christmas Day. Portions of the office for Christmas Eve, including the versicle Hodie scietis quia adveniet dominus, can be read on the back (originally on the recto).
180 x 140 mm. (7 x 5 1/2 in.), with extensions; miniatures in colors and liquid gold depicting Christ, full-length, clothed in a red tunic and a cloak of liquid gold lined in green, showing the stigmata, making a gesture of blessing, and holding a book, crowned by a pair of small angels, one in red, one in liquid gold, with a second pair of angels supporting his feet; the whole on a blue ground within an initial R in blue-gray, pink, blue, and green, the bow and leg of the R each incorporating the monochrome representation of a pair of fantastic creatures, one pair with human heads, the other a pair of dragons with intertwined necks, the back of the R including a grotesque face in green, a blue whorl and two elaborate blue and green knots; all on a burnished gold ground, with a portion of a leafy border in red, pink, blue and green; on the verso, portions of three lines of music (square black neumes on red four-line staves) with text in red and black ink in large gothic rotunda script. Occasional flaking of colors, slight rubbing of gold, the face of one angel blurred; tipped to a velvet backing.
Though he never subjected it to serious study, Sir John Pope-Hennessy believed, as did most of his scholar-friends, that this cutting was Venetian. There are, however, certain anomalies of the figure style which have led some to suppose that it might actually be Tuscan in origin. Regardless of its place of origin, this illumination, which is the most beautiful and well-preserved in the Pope-Hennessy collection, and which has never been published, certainly dates from the last quarter of the trecento.
The initial, originally on the verso of the leaf, introduced the text Rex pacificus magnificatus est, cuius vultum desiderat universa terra, the first antiphon for First Vespers of Christmas Day. Portions of the office for Christmas Eve, including the versicle Hodie scietis quia adveniet dominus, can be read on the back (originally on the recto).