- 19
A Bearded Saint, large historiated initial on a leaf from an illuminated manuscript Antiphoner, in Latin, on vellum [Italy (Florence), c.1480-90]
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Vellum
single leaf, 528mm. by 410mm., with a large historiated initial 'E' (opening "Exultate deo adjutori ...", for the first Nocturn at Matins), 105mm. by 118mm., in fleshy blue, pink and green acanthus-leaves, the central panels heightened with white penwork, on brightly burnished gold grounds, enclosing a saint standing before a wall and two pine trees with his arms raised up, acanthus-leaf sprays bursting into borders and terminating in realistic flower heads and surrounded by gold bezants, initials in red and blue, rubrics in red, one large ornamental initial 'X' with elaborate cadels in dark brown with trailing penwork ending in a flower bud and a human face with a large nose, 14 lines in dark brown ink, "152" on recto, some scuffing to gold, some small stains and slight damage to bottom of leaf, else good and presentable condition
Catalogue Note
The furrowed facial features and hair formed of a mass of single-hair strokes echo those of another antiphoner leaf in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (B 1213; Nordenfalk, Bokmålningar, 1979, no.37), which has been ascribed to the artist, Antonio di Niccolò di Lorenzo (1445-1527). The present leaf may be from his workshop or the hand of a close follower.