Christ as Man of Sorrows surrounded by the Instruments of the Passion and venerated by a bishop, miniature on a leaf from a Book of Hours, in Latin [France (Paris), c.1420]

single leaf, c.161x113mm, vellum, with a miniature for the Passion of Christ according to St John by the MASTER OF HARVARD HANNIBAL, 15 lines (c.92x61mm), the verso with single border in outer margin, slight water damage with retouching to blue background, not affecting the figures

Hartung & Hartung, 13–15 May 2003, lot 35, bought by the present owner.

This miniature is an important addition to the early work of the Harvard Hannibal Master (active c.1415–50). Most remarkable is the unusual iconography with the highly individualised portrait of a prelate kneeling in prayer. He may represent Jean Courtecuisse, bishop of Paris from 1420–22, then of Geneva from 1422-23, who was also a prolific writer (see G. Hasenohr, Le sermon sur la passion de Jean Courtecuisse, 1987).