Illuminated leaf from a Gradual with decorative floral border and historiated initial | Northern Italy? | 17th century

465 x 545mm, illuminated page from a vast gradual, Latin manuscript on vellum, initial 165 x 150mm, likely constituting the lower half of an impressively large sheet, originally about 900 x 600mm, which explains the unusual format, written in Roman Square Capitals inscription on red-ruled four-line background, one line of music, on the recto: 3 small initials A, C, and O with floral details in red and green, on the verso: one large initial D in gold and blue on gold background containing a portrait of a young Christ dressed in burgundy and blue; a wide and elaborate border of flowers and vegetal elements on a burnished gold background, ornamentation in red as well as numerous floral representations in blue, yellow, orange and white with leaves in green; the right-hand side exhibits a few vertical folds, with light rubbing of the coloured surface, overall an impressively large and extraordinarily decorative leaf.

A HIGHLY ATTRACTIVE ILLUMIANTED LEAF WITH A FINE PORTRAIT INITIAL

PROVENANCE

1. UK, private collection.

COMMENTARY

This enchanting half-leaf from an impressively large gradual contains the beginning of the chants for the Mass on the evening of the 25^th December. The leaf is visually striking, with its fine lettering, large gold initial with an elegant portrait, all contained within a luxurious border of gold and red.

The chant on the verso (p.114) offers the introit, the 1^st item in the Proper of the Mass, ‘Dominus dixit ad me’ for Midnight Mass of Christmas Day: ‘In nativitate domini ad missam in nocte. Introitus.’ The recto (p.113) contains the end of the gradual ‘Hodie scietis’ and Alleluia V. ‘Crastina die’ for Christmas Eve: ‘Joseph: qui sedes super Cherubim, appare coram Ephraim, Beniamin, & Manasse…’.

DECORATION

This leaf contains a magnificent portrait initial on a gold background surrounded by a narrow gold leaf frame. It shows a young Christ dressed in a burgundy tunic and a blue overcoat, with curly hair and fine facial features, executed in soft shades. The delicate facial features with the long, thin nose, small mouth, the finely arched eyebrows, and above all, the lush brown curls, highlighted with white, seem inspired by Florentine painting, particularly the school of Domenico Ghirlandaio. The nuanced shading of the almost sculpturally conceived face uses the sfumato technique, where colour transitions are softly blurred without lines or borders, following the traditions of Florentine schools.

The leaf is surrounded by a stunning decorative border that encompasses lush floral tendrils in red, as well as numerous varied flowers in blue, yellow, orange and white with separate leaves in green.

Its finely executed Italianate initial and portrait, as well as the large and exuberant border, make this a highly pleasing example of late 16^th early 17^th century illumination.