Master of the Gerona Bible (active 1260-90s) - photo 1
Master of the Gerona Bible (active 1260-90s) - photo 2

Master of the Gerona Bible (active 1260-90s)

Lot 4
13.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 22 680
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1105658
Lot 4 | Master of the Gerona Bible (active 1260-90s)
Estimate value
£ 18 000 – 25 000
Master of the Gerona Bible (active 1260-90s)

The Ascension of Christ, historiated initial on a leaf from a Gradual, illuminated manuscript on vellum [Bologna, c.1290s]

A splendidly illuminated leaf by the Master of the Gerona Bible, 'a paragon of illuminators', one of the principal protagonists of Bolognese illumination at the dawn of the 14th century.



450 x 351mm. The initial 'V' opening the Introit for the Mass of the Ascension: 'Viri Galilei quid admiramini aspicientes in coelum?' ('Men of Galilee, why wonder you, looking up to heaven?'), with acanthus terminals extending into the margin; 7 lines of music and text on recto and verso (some fading of text, tiny loss of pigment to the face of the Virgin). Mounted.



Provenance:

(1) Gaudenz Freuler (Italian Miniatures, 2013, I, no 10, p.166) posits that the present leaf may have been part of the same Gradual as a King David praying to God in an initial 'A' and the Blessing of Christ in an initial 'B' (10.1 and 10.2 in the catalogue), though he leaves open the possibility that it may have been part of a slightly later choirbook produced with the Master of the Gerona Bible's workshop.



(2) Lucerne, Fischer, 21-22 November 1977, lot 795.



(3) Christie's, 12 June 2013, lot 2.



Illumination:

Although the miniature evidently displays the markers of the eastern, Byzantine style that was becoming so popular in Bolognese illumination towards the end of the 13th century, the 'luminous anatomical and physical articulation of the figures' (Freuler, 2013, p.166) and their remarkable physicality; the emphasis given to animating the heavily modelled faces, with brows and noses heightened by touches of white; and the compositional sensitivity displayed here by the Master of the Gerona Bible and his workshop all point to a particularly innovative artistic aspiration that Freuler sees as emerging from the traditions of Cimabue, but closely intertwined with Giotto. The Master was named after the famous Bible in the Biblioteca Capitolare della Cattedrale in Gerona (Ms.10), and has in the past been identified as Franco da Bologna, celebrated in Dante's Purgatorio as the greatest Italian illuminator of his time (Purgatorio, XI, 79-84).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 18:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
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.