Pentecost, a historiated initial on a leaf from an Antiphonary, in Latin, decorated manuscript on vellum [Italy (Emilia-Romagna, perhaps Bologna), c.1260-70]

single leaf, 490mm. by 340mm., historiated initial ‘D’ (opening “Dum complerentur dies pentecostes …”, the second response of the first nocturne for Pentecost), formed of light pink and orange acanthus extending into the margin and including a human head, on a blue ground with white penwork decoration, framed in light pink, enclosing the Pentecost with the twelve Apostles seated under two arches supported by a central column, with ten 4-line staves in red, ochre and white with music and text in a gothic hand, rastrum 21mm., capitals stroked in red, rubrics in red, large initials in red or blue with contrasting pen-flourishing, recovered from a book binding and so with edges folded, vellum stained and cockled in places, small holes and remains of paper at edges and on verso, inscriptions ‘1600’ and ‘1604’ from reuse (presumably the years of accounts)

The illumination shows the twelve apostles seated in an architectural setting, with heavy faces painted in dark green and visible modelling with brush strokes of white paint. The style is notably close to that of the Maestro d’Imola (F. Lollini in Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani, 2004, p.685) who was named after a group of Choirbooks decorated for San Domenico in Imola (see Cor unum et anima una. Corali miniati della Chiesa di Imola, 1994). He was active in and around Bologna, a leading centre of manuscript production in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, and can be recognised by his peculiar modelling technique in lead-white as well as the colours with predominance of dark blue, bright orange, light pink and green. His painting technique is clearly influenced by Byzantine art. Thin white brushstrokes detail facial features such as eyebrows, noses, lips and chins, and thin elongated brushstrokes have also been used to indicate fingers and toes.