Anonymous Lombard illuminator - photo 1
Anonymous Lombard illuminator - photo 2

Anonymous Lombard illuminator

Sold
£ 6 300
Auction dateClassic
13.07.2022 10:30UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 794568
Lot 14 | Anonymous Lombard illuminator
Anonymous Lombard illuminator

St Agnes, historiated initial from a Choirbook, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Lombardy, perhaps Milan, final quarter 15th century]

A large, refined historiated initial, characteristic of Lombard illumination in the final quarter of the fifteenth century, from what must have been an opulently illuminated choirbook.



165 x 176mm. Historiated initial 'B' enclosing a figure of the saint holding a lamb and a book, verso with two lines of music and text on four-line red staves (a small area of sky retouched, laid down onto later vellum mount onto which the scrolling acanthus of the initial has been extended). 19th-century gilt frame.



The delicate handling of the face of St Agnes, with her fine, softly curling hair, the naturalistic palette with an emphasis on light, fresh blues and greens, and the convincing landscape are all characteristic of Lombard illumination in this period, reflecting the early 'Leonardesque' currents emanating from Milanese late-quattrocento painters. The body of the initial, set against a burnished gold ground, comprises segments of densely-packed, overlapping laurel leaves and coloured balls of the type that appear in Milanese choirbooks illuminated in the final decades of the 15th century.





Special notice


This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
Place of origin:Italy, Europe
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.07.2022 – 13.07.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.