St Agnes, from an illuminated choirbook - photo 1

St Agnes, from an illuminated choirbook

Lot 212
19.10.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 40 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
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Archive
ID 1032864
Lot 212 | St Agnes, from an illuminated choirbook
Estimate value
$ 40 000 – 60 000
An exquisite example of the Leonardesque hand of the Master B.F., from the collections of William Ottley, Robert and George Holford and Eric Korner.

165 x 159mm. Historiated initial 'D', perhaps from the gradual 'Diffusa est' on the Feast of St Agnes, 21 January (slight rubbing at edges, a few small losses to burnished gold).

Provenance:
(1)The Olivetan monastery of SS Angelo e Niccolò at Villanova Sillaro at Lodi, near Milan.

(2)William Young Ottley (1771-1836): his sale at Sotheby’s, 11 May 1838, lot 109: 'One - St Agnes with the Lamb'.

(3) Robert Stayner Holford (1808-1892) and his son, Sir George Holford (1860-1926): the Holford sale at Sotheby’s, 12 July 1927, part of lot 32.

(4) Eric Korner (1893-1980): his sale at Sotheby’s 7 July 2009, lot 114.

The present initial, which presumably would have opened the Feast of St Agnes, is an exquisite example of the hand of the Master B. F. (fl.c.1490-c.1545), and one of the group of cuttings that can be traced back to a series of choirbooks made for the Olivetan monastery of SS Angelo e Niccolò at Villanova Sillaro at Lodi, near Milan. Although the master remains without universally-accepted identification (see C. Quattrini in Dizionario biografico dei miniatori italiani, ed. M. Bollati, 2004, pp.438-42), known only by a monogram added to certain miniatures, his work was held in high esteem by the Milanese court and prominent Olivetan houses, including San Vittore al Corpo. 'B.F.' is sometimes identified with Francesco Binasco, court illuminator and goldsmith to the Duke of Milan documented from 1513-1535. The Master was characterised by the astute Ottley as 'an artist of great power who had studied in the school of Leonardo da Vinci' and the influence of Leonardo's Milanese work of the 1480s is evident in the tonal range of St Agnes's and her crimped hair. The 2009 Korner catalogue highlighted a number of analogous Leonardo compositions, including 'La Belle Ferronière' in the Louvre (Inv. 778), painted c.1490-95, that shows a similar half-length young woman, with centrally-parted hair, looking out across a parapet.

Sister cuttings were sold at Christie's, 19 November 2003, lot 13 and 28 January 2015, lot 126; Sotheby's, 7 July 2009, lot 113; others are in institutions worldwide.
Genre:Religious genre
Place of origin:Italy
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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