Illuminated Initial, C15th | King David gazing up to the Heavens, historiated initial ‘G’ from an Antiphonary on vellum, illuminated by Baldassare Coldiradi, Italy (Cremona), c. 1480-1490

Illuminated initial, cutting, c. 85 x 80 mm, tempera and burnished gold on vellum, historiated initial 'G' by Baldassare Coldiradi of Cremona, reverse with part of 2 lines of text of Psalm 143:5 ('[Domine inclina caelos] tuos et [descende tange mon]tes et fumi[gabunt]'), gold slightly rubbed, cut to shape, mounted on velvet.

KING DAVID BEAUTIFULLY ILLUMINATED BY BLADASSARE COLDIRADI

Gazing up towards the Heavens is King David, visually referring to Psalm 143:5 ‘Domine, inclina caelos tuos, et descende; tange montes, et fumigabunt’. Against a royal blue background, the figure of King David is set apart by his crimson coat trimmed with green. The figure is encompassed by an elegant initial ‘G’ formed of fleshy acanthus leaves in blue hues against a backdrop of burnished gold. 

The creator of this initial, Baldassare Coldiradi, native of Cremona, is documented in payments for choirbooks of Cremona Cathedral in 1482 and 1484. His style is indebted to the region of Lombardy and is characterised by its vibrant palette of rich blues, greens, and reds, and expressive rendering of human figures. He created attractive compositions punctuated by delicate details, like the highlights glazing the softly curling locks of David.

In Treasures of a Lost Art, Palladino convincingly links the illuminator Frate Nebridio and our artist to the monastery of Sant’Agostino in Cremona (Palladino 2003, p. 130). Other initials attributed to Baldassare Coldiradi feature Augustinian nuns and hint at a possible affiliation with the same order in Cremona, the convent of Santa Monica.

The initial depicting King David is an elegant example of the high-quality work of Baldassare Coldiradi of Cremona and shows his deeply running artistic connections to his native region.

This initial originates from the same manuscript as others obtained by William Young Ottley (d.1836) and later entered the collection of Lord Northwick, his sale in our rooms, 16 November 1925. Two of these cuttings were purchased by Robert Lehmann, one now in Oberlin College (Allen Art Museum 43.17; see P. Palladino, Treasures of a Lost Art, no.63), the location of the other is unknown. Three more initials are in Philadelphia Free Library (Lewis, EM 71:A–C), one is in the Indiana University Library (MS. K7); six fragments in the Bodleian Library (MS. Douce d. 13) may also be associated with this dispersed Antiphonary. For the reconstruction of the group of cuttings see Melgorani 1995.

PROVENANCE

1. Dr. Raymond Lister (d.2001) of Cambridge.

2. Maggs, Cat.1428, 2008, no.4, to Private Collection.

3. Sotheby's, London, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts Sale, 6 December 2016, lot 6.

4. Acquired by present owner from the above sale.

LITERATURE

Passoni, M.C. in Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani: secoli IX–XVI, ed. by M. Bollati. Milan (2004), pp. 167–71.

Palladio, PiAa Treasures of a Lost Art. Italian Manuscript Painting in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, London (2003).

Marubbi, Mario. in Codici e incunaboli miniati de/la Biblioteca Civica di Bergamo. Milan (1989), pp. 252-54.

Puerari, Alfredo. Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, Cremona. Raccolte artistiche. Cremona (1976), pp. 80-81, 93.

Anna Melograni. 'Miniature inedite del Quattrocento', Storia dell'arte, 83, 1995, pp.5–27.