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'Sforziada' Frontispieces of Giovan Pietro Birago

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'Sforziada' Frontispieces of Giovan Pietro Birago NEW LIGHT ON THE 'SFORZIADA' FRONTISPIECES OF GIOVAN PIETRO BIRAGO M. L. EVANS D. H. TURNER'S interest in the Milanese miniaturist Giovan Pietro Birago dated from his cataloguing ofthe detached full-page miniature ofthe Adoration ofthe Magi from the renowned Sforza Hours, which entered the British Museum in 1941, published in the Gatalogue of Addittons to the Manuscripts igj6-Tg4§.'^ Many years later. Turner selected both the Sforza Hours and the Grenville Library Sforziada, with its frontispiece by Birago, for the exhibition 'Renaissance Painting in Manuscripts' held in 1983-4.^ During the run of this exhibition a previously unknown calendar leaf from the Sforza Hours was brought to the attention of British Library staff and was purchased by the Department of Manuscripts.^ Turner encouraged the publication of the calendar leaf by the present writer in a recent issue of The British Library Journal (vol. xii (1986), pp. 21-7). He was also instrumental in the preparation of this essay on the Sforziada although, sadly, he did not live to see it completed. Since his emancipation from the name of convenience ^Master ofthe Sforza Hours*, by which he was known prior to 1956, Giovan Pietro Birago has emerged as a leading figure in the last great era of Milanese manuscript illumination.''^Outstanding amongst the series of commissions which Birago executed for members of the Sforza dynasty during the last decade ofthe fifteenth century are three illuminated frontispieces^ in de luxe copies ofthe printed edition of Giovanni Simonetta's life of Francesco Sforza, known as the Sforziada (British Library, London, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and Biblioteka Narodowa, Warsaw) (pl. I, figs, i, 2). The miniatures and borders which Birago added to the opening page ofthe first book of these copies of Francesco's biography are of outstanding interest, both as highly accomplished works of art and as fascinating historical documents ofthe political situation in Milan during the crucial period r. 1490-4, which witnessed the final years of the reign of Gian Galeazzo Sforza, his premature death and the seizure of the duchy by his uncle, Ludovico il Moro. A fourth copy, its frontispiece now removed and cut up, can also be identified and is discussed below. The Sforziada or, to give its full title. La Historia delle cose facie dallo invictissimo duca Francesco Sforza, was written in Latin by Giovanni Simonetta, a member of Francesco Sforza's entourage.*^ A printed edition ofthe Latin text was published by Antonio Zarotto of Milan in 1482, with a dedication to Ludovico il Moro, who was a son of Francesco.*^ Simonetta's book was translated into Italian by Cristoforo Landino and an illuminated 232 PLATE V f^fe?to«aA<pb«rta»W< m(^^Mmn?ti:6mtu'1tmmre^^Auoittuf ^fimuWAuotttuf^ca't^ctmruuVi^i;^ itnAUsnot)cffll^S€trCttmciw^|tt4etut^ ttj»wvAllmmm'$t'^c<mmr''titrSin^ m^ttmttUU^etttttAnzmuute^A&ma tmOttttoucvmed ^cimmt tmuim., etna Bible, mid-thirteenth century. Add. MS. 52778, fol. 386^ PLATE VI The Journey and (below) Adoration of the Magi. Tilliot Hours. Yates Thompson MS. 5, fol. 48^ PLATE VII mmm mttnav mtft tntO falu^ a.u£wT. dC \n oiartm. The Adoration of the Magi. Hours from the Rothschild Bequest. Add. MS. PLATE VIII SOTDAlIo 1VICTISSIMO DVCA FRANCESCO SFORZA SCRIPTA IN LA :, JO DA GIOVANNI SIMONETTA ETTRADOCTA INUNI iVA FIQRENTINA DA CHRJSffOPHORQ LANDINO FTOR FN •afigUuoiadiGirlo Reregnauaiperclieerafuc. :eclutanelregno NeapolitanoaLaiillaoRe fuofra' cello:elquale parti dt uita fansa figliuoli:Alphonfo- le daragonacon grandearmara mouoido di Cata ogna:uenne in SiciIia: Ifola di fao 'ImperiolLa eui- lenuta exato gli huomini del NeapoUtano regho aJ 1 larii fauoriid: a diuerfi confLgludtnon con mouimenti diqiieT regnoJmpero che Giouana Regina^^etmolti'i fubi impudichi amort era caduiain Tdma tnfamia^Et defperandoftcbeler. femina potefli adempiere lofficio del Re:6t adminiflracttam:<!>;rc'gnovfecep a fe manto Iacopo dt N erbona Conte di Marcia:elquale per notalua di faii> gue:& belleza di corpo:nemenoper uirtu era ira Prmcipi di Francia excel'r lente ,-Maaccorgendori in breue che quelio defideraua piu eiTere Re: d mariro:fliqueUanon moltoftimaua:m^oflb dafeminileleuitalorifiutoidc priuo dogni adminiflracioe. Quefto fu cagionecHel fuo regnb:elcuale per* fuanatura e prono.alle difl'enfi.oni-& difc6rdie:arrogendouifi enohonelit coftumi della Regina: ntorno ntHea.TiiiclTe fedioni ii;partialita,:a:conuti) ao ogm giorno piu a fl:a<fluare:d^;uaciIlare.Erano alcunra quaii fid'-drfpiil I ceuala fignoria deUa dona-.percheSeriche il nome fufli in leuloro nientiEfdii i menocoihidauono-AItn defiderauanotche Lodouico tertio fegliuolo dl Lddbuico elqualeera Bomato Re di PygliaiA: di d.ellaRealeflirpe,daragonia:fuffit actopcato dalU Regira^Coftui pocbauatii lentifTimoDuca inrmlitaredifciplina: iifpadri egre^ii fatfli habbiamoafcriuereerauenuto alitidiCampa^naiErcogiun' tofi SforTaihaueamofTo guerraatlaRegiha. Maquegh che repu^nauano: aLodouichb:metieuancj ogni jriduftna'; che Alphohfo fufii adoprato in ft! liuolo della Reina: accio che in NayoU fcifil tal Rfc:che^con.IefuefoK?e6;' f 1 mare 6i di terra potefli refiftere allapofla de Franaofi _ Adunque in cbfi^ uehemeteconrentionedebaronu&piu huommidel regno:A!phonfS:cliia.; mato daflaReina m herede &comf agn&del regno:diuenen6 folo.iUtdSfeb" ma anchora hombile: Et el home Catelano elquale tnfmffa queglnempil no era moico noto &i celebre fe non apopoli maritimi:ma mutfo &odiofo:' commcio a crefcere: 6i farfi'chiaro, Ma di da Lodouico d: da Siofza rantol Dgni giorno piu erono opprefTiiel Re & la Regina:che diffidadofi nelle pro' iefbr2e:conduxono3raccio Pcruginaiidqua[ce>ael fecoridoCapitarro: miUua in. Italia m quegU cepi ed moUjehortQreuqli' Giovan Pietro Birago, decorated border, frontispiece in Giovanni Simonetta, Sforziada (Milan, Antonio Zarotto, 1490). British Library, G. 7251. ^NVICTiSSIMOUVCAi-UANGHSCO SfORZA^GlIPTA IN LA 'INQ UA. GIOVANNi- &JMOWEI;TA EI TRADOCTA IN LIN •., .1 iVA FipRaMTINAiUA;Qri&j!£T.afl]iIO.RO, LANDIIKIO FIOREN. ohda figliiicJi dhCarlo Re regnauaiperchfe era fuel .edutanci regno.-bJcapphtacd aiLaxillao Re Tuo fwi parti'dl w,ita.fania..]iigLiu6hiAlpiip*n{o- graode armarainouendo doCackrl iciUait Ifola dl luo IrRperloJLac jtQ glf.huorhmi del Neapoljtauio v!e^i\i: '.a.ni &ii!Orl;.6i a 'ctiuerfi conAgIi;6.'.non con piccoii] Reginalper motti id: ua' rmpuidfcln ii aduTa,i.nfdma!tnfamia,Etderperandor)>'che.[ei.] jernpiere lofficiodeL Rcd^adminifti-ni-e ranio ll era traPrincipi di Franaa excel jacjuello difiderauapiuelTerfcRc: che g edofu cagicmechfel fu6"regn6:elt;iJ3leipei"E ii-nacurii:epVoiio4[le ni6i difGdi-die:aiT0!?Gndbu'ifi cnohoneftk d gm giorCTo piu a fludluare,di u :cua![a'fignoria della dpna-.p ^A!d iall:aftealeiiirpe.da;i-agon'ia;-fi4ni'adbp.catb-dallaRe^ina.Calluipodbauari| la'conFQriidiiMnrt'j/iivtii.terDto fqrtio Ponccfii:c:,fli' di SfoECiAcpend'olo evceii fcnjilTt>n-o-C)ucf!,in.miliraredifcjpI).na: &: padredtFrihcefcofforzkdecoil lofr Sfor2fi:haLU^amofro,giieri'a alia Regina. M pp J Adunque in co ithemefeconiencione debai-oli):&piu hiiomini del regna:Alphbnfo chtat •i:iarddaHaRetna.m herede dicompaeno del regno:diu^ene no fold iHufti-cri tDti'aniGhorflhar^iblIe:-.E[: el home Cacelaiio elquale mfiri6-at^uegli:rempil J'dfibf;b6lfI ^ ''j.f-J?^ ig^i. Giovan Pietro Birago: decorated border, frontispiece in Giovanni Simonetta Sforziada (Milan, Antomo Zarotto, 1490). Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Imprimes, Reserve, Velins 724 llNVICTlS'^lMO DVCA FRANCESCO SHORZA SCRIPTA IN LA NO DA GIOVANNI SIMONETTA HTTRADOCTA IN LIN V A FIOREN TIN A DA CHRISTOPHORO LANDINO FIOREN ! TINO. t IE TEMPI CHE LA REGINA GIOVANN A SB EtcondafigliuoIadiOrlo Re rcgnauaiperche era fuc Ijcedutanel regno Neapolitanoa Lati(laoR.e Tuofra l|tello:elc^uale parti di uita fanza righuoti:Alphanfa: daragonacon grandearmata mouendodlOta logna uenne m Sicilia ; Ifola di fuo ImpericLacui uenuta excito gl i huomini det Neapoliiano rcgno a .,..,., _..„ , ^jiiaru fauort:di' a diuerfi configli;(i^ non con piccolt ouimenti ai qiJeTregnoTlmpero che Giouana Regina per molti 6i uaril uoi impudichi amori era caduia m foma tnfamu.Hc defperandofi chela adempiere loflicio del Rci&admmiftrare tanro regno;fece fe manto Iacopo di Ncrbona Gante di Marcia:dquale per nobitita di fan ue:d.'belle:a di corpomemcnoper uirtuera tra Princtpldi FrantUa excd ente . Ma accorgendofi in breue che qucllo defideraua piu elTere Re: che anto:6cque!U non mokoflimauaimolTo da femipileleuiiaio nftuto:di priuo doeniadminiflratice . Queftofu cagionechel fuoregnoretcjualeper I fuanituraepronoalie dtlTenfioni di difcordietarrogendouifi endhoneflr coftumi della Regina: ricorno nelle lniiche fatllioni (Vpartialita:^^ comia CIO ogni giorno piu a fluiftuared: uacillare.Eranoalcuni a quali no drfpuJ ceua la fignoria della donarperchebenchc il nome fuffi in Iei:loronientoch' menocomidauono.Aliri defiderauanoxheLodouicocertio Ducadancmn flijiiuolodi Lodouico e'qualeera nomatoRediPugliarttckuiOlantematail peconforti di Marnno tertto fomo Pontefice:^: di Sforra Atrendolo • iJenrifTimo Duca in militaredifciplina : ii; padrediFrancefcofforzadecml cgrejit faiflf habbtamoa fcnuereerauenuioa litidiCampae;na:Etcdgiuiir| tofi Sforra; hauea molTo guerra alia Regina . Ma quegli che rcpuijnauano: aLodouifhojinetreuanoogni induftria: che Alphonfo fufTi adoptacom igliuolo dei la Rema: acciochein Napoli fafli ral Re;checon lefue forzetfc-1 dl marc Adi terra pocefTireriftere alia pofTadeFrinciofi. Adunque in cofil 1 uehemetecontenttone debaroni:di; piu huomini del regno;Alphonfo i matodailaRema
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