Central or southern Italian artist

Starting price
£ 700
Auction dateClassic
09.12.2020 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
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ID 470354
Lot 3 | Central or southern Italian artist
Central or southern Italian artist

King David praying to God, Abruzzi or southern Italy, 1st half 14th century

KING DAVID PRAYING TO GOD, in an initial 'A' cut from an illuminated Gradual on vellum [Abruzzi or southern Italy, first half 14th century]



A charming, sensitively painted and rare example of 14th-century central Italian — possibly Abruzzese — illumination.



92 x 67mm. The initial 'A' opening the Introit to Mass for the First Sunday of Advent 'Ad te levavi animam meam [...]' (very worn and faded). Pasted down on card.



The elusive artist of the present miniature can perhaps be located in central or southern Italy, a region which at the time was under the influence of Anjou. Stylistic comparables can be found in Abruzzese manuscript illumination of the period, for example in the Antiphonal of Santa Maria Paganica (L'Aquila, Archivio Parrocchiale di S. Maria Paganica, A.5), and especially in the historiated initial with Christ blessing on f.2. Here we see the same pale pink initial form delineated in a thick stroke of light blue on the inside, all against a deep blue background, the figure of the blessing Christ compositionally identical (see F. Manzari, 'La miniatura abruzzese di epoca gotica e tardogotica', in Illuminare l’Abruzzo, exhibition catalogue, 2012, pp. 58-88, esp. p.62).

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