Antiphonal, Sanctoral covering the liturgical year from August 1st to Advent | Italy, Emilia-Romagna | circa 1270-75

IMPRESSIVE ANTIPHONAL WITH 51 ILLUMINATED INITIALS IN THE PRIMO STILE

PROVENANCE

1. Presumably made for Dominican use, cf. the importance given to S. Dominic, who appears on fols. 87r, 89v, and perhaps fol. 211г.

2. Private collection, Europe.

COMMENTARY

This impressive Italian Antiphonal in historic binding contains 51 large, illuminated initials and one full-page initial A in the so-called Primo Stile. This distinct style of illumination emerged in the second half of the 13^th century and references Byzantine tastes by creating human figures with composed expressions, posed like carved stone figures. St Dominic features twice in the historiated initials, making it likely that the manuscript is a result of the industrious book production of a Dominican monastery in the Emilia-Romagna region. The text of the Antiphonary (Sanctorale) covers the liturgical year from 1^st of August to Advent. Beginning with fol. 289 17^th-century additions.

ILLUMINATION

This extensively illuminated Antiphonal showcases late 13^th-century illumination of the Emilia-Romagna region and offers a regional take of the Primo Stile, which originated in Bologna. During the second half of the 13^th century, Bologna became a centre for book production due to the learned culture spreading from the university, as well as the proliferation of the Dominican order founded at the beginning of the century.

The artist used a restrained palette, featuring a variety of pinks and reds, greys, and beige tones, which are offset by royal blue backdrops decorate with fine white tracings. Floral Geometric patterns, and intertwining vines fill the space within initials, often sprouting from the mouths of fantastical beasts.

The 51 initials are strongly reminiscent of the style of the Master of Imola, who created a series of Choir Books for the Cathedral of Imola. Human figures possess narrow and angular features which echo the style of Gradual III from the Cathedral of Imola. The compositions created by the illuminator reveal a familiarity with renowned examples of leading Bolognese workshops, specifically works of the Master of Imola and his circle. This makes it likely that the artist was active in one of the adjacent regions of Emilia-Romagna or Lombardy.

The initials are:

fol. 40r, Initial V Christ blessing and a prophet

fol. 87r, Initial G Saint Dominic

fol. 89v, Initial M The miracle of Saint Dominic carrying the Lateran

fol. 105v, Initial L Saint Lawrence

fol. 125r, Initial V The Virgin with two angels

fol. 142v, Initial I Saint Augustine

fol. 167v, Initial H The Virgin with child (Accompanying the feast of the birth of the Virgin)

fol. 181v, Initial D The Crucifixion

fol. 194r, Initial D Saint Michael playing the cornet.

fol. 195v, Initial F Saint Michael

fol. 211r, Initial S Christ, the Virgin and Saint John with monastic saints.

fol. 231v. Initial C The mass of the death

fol. 245v, Initial H Saint Martin

fol. 262r, Initial C Saint Cecilia

fol. 275v, Initial O Saint Clement

fol. 279r, Initial O Saint Clement

fol. 282r, Initial N Saint Catherine of Alexandria

LITERATURE

Unpublished,

FURTHER READING

Faranda 1994, nos.2-6; exh.cat. Bologna 2000, nos. 73-74; sales cat. Günther 2004, no.1. (Corali 5-7, 9-10, see: F. Faranda (ed.), Cor unum et Anima Una, Corali miniati della Chiesa di Imola, Ravenna 1994, nos. 2-6; Duecento. Forme e colori del medioevo a Bologna, cat. exhibition Bologna, museo Civico Archeologico 2002, nos. 73-74.