Workshop of the Master of Sant`Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico) - photo 1
Workshop of the Master of Sant`Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico) - photo 2
Workshop of the Master of Sant`Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico) - photo 3

Workshop of the Master of Sant`Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico)

Sold
£ 5 922
Auction dateClassic
12.07.2023 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 993176
Lot 2 | Workshop of the Master of Sant'Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico)
Workshop of the Master of Sant'Alessio in Bigiano (Maestro Geometrico)

The Ascension, historiated initial on a leaf from an illuminated manuscript Gradual on vellum [Tuscany or Emilia, c.1280s]

A bold and striking example of the dominant style of illumination in Tuscany and Emilia Romagna at the end of the 13th century.



490 × 335mm, five lines of text and four of music on four-line red staves, the text comprising the end of a rubric (‘[Ascen]sionis ad missam introitus’) and the introit for the mass of the Ascension, ‘Viri Galilei […]’, the initial depicting the Virgin Mary in blue mantle holding a cross, surrounded by a crowd of disciples, some of whom look up or point at a half-length Christ in heaven, the verso with original foliation in the fore-edge margin in red ‘cl’, and 17th(?)-century in black ‘150’ (cockled overall, not significantly affecting the illumination). In a 1930s(?) giltwood frame.



Provenance:

Leo S. Olschki (1861–1940), bookseller, of Florence: the verso inscribed with his pencil stock-number ‘29984’ (which suggests a date c.1907–8, as Federico Botana kindly informs us).



Illumination:

The illumination is datable to the final quarter of the 13th century and can be associated with the series of choirbooks made for the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. The geometric patterns of the stave are reminiscent of the work of the Master of Sant'Alessio in Bigiano, sometimes known as the Maestro Geometrico (see, for example, an initial 'D' in the Longari collection in Milan, M. Bollati, Miniature a Brera 1100-1422, 1997, pp.103 and 106), whose work was symptomatic of the prevalent style of illumination in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany at the time.





Special notice

No VAT is payable on the hammer price or the buyer's premium for this lot. Please see the VAT Symbols and Explanation section of the Conditions of Sale for further information
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
12.07.2023 – 12.07.2023
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.