- 7
The Ascension, in a historiated initial on a leaf from an illuminated choirbook, on vellum [northern Italy (Florence), c.1480]
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Vellum
a large leaf, 600mm. by 420mm., with an initial 'V' (opening "Viri galilei quid ...", the antiphon for Ascension) in pink, green and blue acanthus leaves, enclosing a host of saints with brightly burnished gold haloes, looking skyward as Christ rises into heaven (his feet disappearing at the top of the miniature), on burnished gold grounds edged with serrated brown penwork, acanthus leaves spilling into margin, curling around gold fruit and terminating in coloured flower buds and gold bezants, 2 capitals in ornamental penwork touched in red and green, one red 'ps' in bottom line with decorated ascender extending 110mm. into lower margin ending in cadel and penwork tracery, 5 lines of text with music on 4-line red stave, later "XVII" and 17" on verso, slight scuffing to gold, tiny areas of flaking from border and small offset from red lines on facing page in background of miniature, else excellent condition
Provenance
Maggs, European Bulletin 19 (1994), no.21.
Catalogue Note
The miniature is in the style connected to the great Florentine painter, Attavante degli Attavanti (1452-1525), and bears his characteristic pale blue sky and detailed facial features, made up from a profusion of tiny hair-line strokes.