No Binding
1475 · France
by [ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT]
France: np, 1475. 1st Edition. No Binding. Very Good. ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM A LATE 15TH CENTURY FRENCH BOOK OF HOURS FEATURING A POIGNANT MINIATURE DEPICTING THE CRUCIFIXION. The miniature offered here [recto] captures the Crucifixion with notable emotional depth. Christ is shown on the Cross, flanked by the Virgin Mary in deep blue robes, her hands crossed in grief, and St. John the Evangelist who supports her.
To the right stands a Roman soldier, possibly Longinus, rendered in vivid red. Behind Longinus stands a phalanx of soldiers in gray. Particularly striking is the artist’s rendering of Christ’s face, which powerfully conveys his pain and exhaustion. The delicate lines and shadows around the eyes and mouth give the figure a haunting realism, demonstrating the illuminator’s careful attention to the humanity of Christ’s suffering. The emotional intensity heightens the devotional function of the leaf, inviting the viewer into a moment of profound empathy and reverence.
Surrounding the large miniature are margins richly embellished with sprays of acanthus leaves, red and blue flowers, and a finely detailed bird perched among the vines. In the right margin is a figure with a ladder. The text opens with a 4 line initial D, elegantly drawn in pink surrounding a delicate pink flower.
Verso contains 15 lines of text with two 2-line initials decorated with embedded figures and a border of flowers and acanthus leaves. Numerous line fillers and illuminated initials decorate the text.
The text is from the opening lines of Matins from the Hours of the Cross.
The Latin text below begins Matins:
Domine labia mea aperies. Et os meum annunciabit laudem tuam. Deus in adiutorium meum intende. Domine ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum, Amen. Allelujah.
English translation:
Thou O Lord wilt open my lips. And my mouth shall declare thy praise. Incline unto my aid O God. O Lord make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Even as it was in the beginning and now and ever and world without end, Amen Alleluia.
Size: 178 x 119 mm (approx. 7.0 x 4.7 inches)
Miniature: 123 x 60 mm (approx. 4.8 x 2.4 inches)
France. Late 14th century. Some smudging to the right lower section of the miniature (area with the Roman solders). A particularly moving depiction of the Crucifixion. (Inventory #: 2951)
To the right stands a Roman soldier, possibly Longinus, rendered in vivid red. Behind Longinus stands a phalanx of soldiers in gray. Particularly striking is the artist’s rendering of Christ’s face, which powerfully conveys his pain and exhaustion. The delicate lines and shadows around the eyes and mouth give the figure a haunting realism, demonstrating the illuminator’s careful attention to the humanity of Christ’s suffering. The emotional intensity heightens the devotional function of the leaf, inviting the viewer into a moment of profound empathy and reverence.
Surrounding the large miniature are margins richly embellished with sprays of acanthus leaves, red and blue flowers, and a finely detailed bird perched among the vines. In the right margin is a figure with a ladder. The text opens with a 4 line initial D, elegantly drawn in pink surrounding a delicate pink flower.
Verso contains 15 lines of text with two 2-line initials decorated with embedded figures and a border of flowers and acanthus leaves. Numerous line fillers and illuminated initials decorate the text.
The text is from the opening lines of Matins from the Hours of the Cross.
The Latin text below begins Matins:
Domine labia mea aperies. Et os meum annunciabit laudem tuam. Deus in adiutorium meum intende. Domine ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui sancto. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum, Amen. Allelujah.
English translation:
Thou O Lord wilt open my lips. And my mouth shall declare thy praise. Incline unto my aid O God. O Lord make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Even as it was in the beginning and now and ever and world without end, Amen Alleluia.
Size: 178 x 119 mm (approx. 7.0 x 4.7 inches)
Miniature: 123 x 60 mm (approx. 4.8 x 2.4 inches)
France. Late 14th century. Some smudging to the right lower section of the miniature (area with the Roman solders). A particularly moving depiction of the Crucifixion. (Inventory #: 2951)
(212) 326-8907
