M I N I A T U R E S A N D B O R D E R S

FROM

TH E BOO K OF H O U RS

BONASFORZA DUCHESS OF ,

I N TH E

B RI T I S H M U S E U M

WI TH I N TROD UC TI ON B "

A. W A R N E R M. G E O R G E F . ,

ASS I STANT K EEPE R OF MAN U SC RI PT S

P UB L I S H E D TR U S T E E S LONDON

P RI NT ED B " \V I LLI AM C LO\VE AN D ON L I MITED S S S, , N O T I C E .

T H E reproductions in this volume represent the choicest miniatures and borders in the exquisitely illuminated Book of Hou rs of

Bona Sforza, Duchess of Milan , which the late Mr. John Malcolm , of

s r Poltalloch , so generously presented to the Tru tees of the B itish

“ Museum in 1 893 supplemented by a border from the Sforziada

r in the Grenville Libra y, which has been added for purposes of

comparison .

N 0 more per fectly finished illuminated manuscr ipt than the Sforza

Book of Hours could have been chosen for the purpose of exemplifying the best work of the miniatu rists of the Milanese and Flemis h Schools of the close of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth centuries ;

r and , although the colouring of the originals is wanting in the rep o d u cti ons w , the fine details of the dra ing and the artistic merits of the composition will not fail to excite the admiration of the student of art .

r The plates , in pe manent collotype , have been skilfully executed

r by the Autotype Company ; and the wo k has been superintended, and

r . . . the I ntroduction has been w itten , by my colleague , Mr G F Warner, K the Assistant eeper of this Department .

S C TT EDWARD . . O J L ,

r o M an uscr s K eepe f ipt . D EPARTMEN T OF M SS . ,

S e tember 1 8 p , 94 .

I N T RO D U T I N C O .

H E beautifully illuminated manuscript known as the Sforza Book of Hours was brought to this

1 8 1 country in 7 by Sir J . C . Robinson , who had

purchased it shortly before at Madrid . The Treasury having refused to provide the means for

its acquisition by the State, it passed into the hands of a more appreciative private collector, the late Mr. John

S r Malcolm , of Poltalloch . I t is due to his public pi it that the loss 1 8 r to the nation proved after all only temporary. I n 93 , with ra e m unifice nce r , he p esented the volume to the British Museum , which thus adds to its treasures one of the very finest extant examples of I talian r enaissance ar t as applied to th e decoration of service - books

r and other manusc ipts . MS The . , which is numbered Additional is of small size , m easu ring only 555 inches in height by 4 inches in width . I n its

r 8 p esent state it consists of 3 4 leaves of fine vellum , and is enriched

6 l - m r 1 with no less than 4 fu l page iniatu es , besides as many as 3 9 e v r r qually attracti e illuminated borde s . When it ar ived in England

r red v it fo med a single volume only, in covers of faded elvet with

r . r silve clasps This binding , however, was of no olde date than the

1 r latter part of the 7th centu y, and , as many of the leaves wanted

r r r s . gua ding, Mr . Malcolm had the book newly bound in fou pa t The

r E va n el ii r text , all in Latin , is as follows Cu sus g , comp ising

r x r 1 2 sho t e tracts f om the four Gospels, f. ( ) Hours of the Holy Cross ,

r H ur s . 1 2 8 f. f 3 ; (3) Hou s of the Holy Spirit , ; (4) o s of the Ble sed

r . 1 x . 1 . Vi gin , f 4 (5 ) Lessons of the Passion , viz . Luke xii to xxiii 5 3 ,

1 6 r our . 1 6 5 r r f. 3 7 ; ( ) P ayers to Lord on the Passion , f 7 ; (7) P aye s 6 ii IN TROD UCTION

1 6 6 m r a . 8 to the Virgin , f 9 ; ( ) Me o ials of Saints , each consisting of r 1 8 6 v short p ayer on a single page , with a miniature , f. (9) Se en Peni tenti al 2 1 6 1 1 . I O . . 2 Psalms , f 3 ( ) Litany, etc , f 3 ( ) Office of the Dead , l i ” . 2 8 1 2 r o I esu P a ul i nis E i s to s n f 5 ; ( ) O ati de Nomine ex p co gesta ,

— 8 o f ff. 3 43 34 . With the exception of the last , which is an addition

r r r r 1 600 no inte est appa ently w itten about the yea , these divisions constitute an or dinar y Book of H ours , all that calls for remark being the m absence of the usual calendar . At the same ti e, although the

r text as it stands is complete , many of the leaves in va ious places did not MS ae its belong to the original . , but fill lacun unhappily caused by

i n mutilation . As will be shown presently, these later leaves were s rted 1 r e 1 and 1 2 1 . r between 5 9 5 Altogethe , they make up a thi d of , x the whole bulk , and among them are included si teen of the miniatures ,

s s r are which , beside being thu of a more recent date than the est , of a ff widely di erent school .

T o x th e . some extent M S . tells its own history From the te t ,

r indeed, we only lea n that it had a Milanese origin . This is apparent f r . r o from the language used of St . Ba nabas and St Ambrose , pat ons “ r m s Milan , one of whom is pointedly described as Ba nabas qui pri u ” Medi ol ani cel eb ravi t r m missam , while the praye comme orating the other w as obviously penned under the shadow of the chur ch of which

r r v he was a chbishop . The info mation con eyed in the illuminated

r v . borders is more definite, p o ing beyond question that the M S owed

r its existence to Bona of Savoy, wife of Galeazzo Ma ia, second Duke

r r s of Milan of the house of Sfo za . Galeazzo, whose ty anny and vice

m 1 6 2 6th . had made him justly odious , was assassinated on Dece ber, 47

H is widow then acted for a while as regent for her son Gian Galeazzo , 1 who was only eight years of age ; and some of the coins struck for h er in t his capacity bear on the r everse the dev ice of a phoenix rising fr om ”

r s e uor . the flames , enci cled with the motto , Sola facta, solum Deum q “ ” r for With the slight, and doubtless merely accidental , va iation of fata

1 ’ - G necchi l e M am i e zl i 1 v 2 L tta Famz l i e C el eb i 21 274 720 1 8 8 . 8 l . x . , , 4 , p 3 , p ; i , lg I tal i a ze Sforza r e a z e e t b . v n o. , p dig , . , 9 . IN TROD UCTION iii

a facta, both phoenix and motto form conspicuous feature of the

r r border reproduced he e in pl . xlii . and , in addition to this , the wo ds f 66 6 6 r r f. Diva Bona appea in several other borde s , 79 , and Bona Duc[issa] is inscribed in extremely minute characters o n f the front o a building in the miniature of St . Clare (pl .

M. Equally significant are the two initials B . , which may be seen in

are s xxxviii . They repeated elsewhere , and no doubt repre ent the ” r names Bona Ma ia, which in one instance are found written at ll m 66 fi . length at the end of a psal (f. ) in order to up a line Although s h e r rs is almost inva iably called by the fi t alone, both these names were

r in fact borne by the Duchess , who appears as Bona Ma ia in full , not ” o r nly in the contemporary chronicle known as the Dia ium Parmense , ll but in some of her own letters and official documents as regent .

s The identity of the original owner of the MS . being thu placed

r v r beyond doubt , it emains to disco er its mo e exact date and the special

r purpose, if any , for which so exceptionally choice a wo k of its kind was

r v w as p oduced . From the device and motto abo e noticed , it clearly completed after the tragedy that made the Duchess a widow ; and there is additional evidence of this in the fact that St . Albert, one of the

s r 1 6 . aints commemo ated (pl . was not canonized until 47 Taking ’ r t 1 the ext eme limits , its date therefore lies be ween 47 7 and Bona s

r r own death ; but, owing to the misfo tunes of her later yea s , the a ctual per iod during which she was at all likely to hav e commanded the services of the first Milanese illuminators of the day was more

r r s r v r na rowly ci cum c ibed . Passionate , impulsi e , and of no g eat ability , she was obviously ill - fitted for the difficult part she was called upon to ’ r play afte her husband s death . I t would seem , indeed , as if she had

’ been specially marked out by fate to be the victim of a b r other- i n- law s

r H r r I o e X . unsc upulous ambiti n . elder sister having mar ied Louis , she

a r r had been brought up as gi l at the Court of France and , befo e her

1 68 r m union with Galeazzo Sforza in 4 , she nar owly issed becoming the

1 M ' ' ’ ’ urator xxu. col . 2 Ar e/zzmo Si or zeo L om6czm o 1 8 8 . 1 . Ma enta i, , 49 ; , 3 , p 3 5 C g , ’ ’ ' ’' I Vzseozztz e /z S e el s l l z a r za n ea l e o a P avi 1 8 8 . g f , 3 , ii . , p 3 95 . i v IN TROD UCTION

w d tw o wife of Ed ard I V . of England , as a ple ge of amity between the ’ “ s r r r nations . Thi project, which is immo talized in Shakespea e s Thi d ’ K r was r Part of ing H en y V I . , frustrated by Edwa d s infatuation for Widvil e ° r r Elizabeth but, although Bona was thus escued f om

11: r Richard of Gloucester, was only to fall into the toils of a still g eater ’ r adept at intrigue and statecraft , her husband s second surviving b other, ’ r Il G al eazzo s Ludovico Sfo za , surnamed Moro . With the support of

r able ministe , Cecco Simonetta, she nevertheless maintained her hold

1 80 r h er of the regency until November, 4 , when , partly th ough own

her . r u culpable folly, she was ousted by wily antagonist Her fi st tho ght

r u afte her fall was to take refuge in France, and , altho gh foiled at the ’ h er r time by Ludovico s jealousy, she is said to have made way thithe

1 8 1 r in October, 4 , having spent the interval under mild rest aint at

as H e r r v r . . r r Abbiategr so stay in F ance was , howeve , compa ati ely sho t Negotiations were Opened by Louis on her behalf at least as early as

r r r July, and they ultimately esulted in her eturn to Milan , afte m 1 8 . r Louis himself was dead , at the end of 4 3 Probably the te s of r i r r h er s econcil ation , which included the esto ing of money and jewel ,

n ot r rv were very sc upulously obse ed in any case , her life for the next

r r e ten years was one of discomfo t and chag in , the scanty notices we hav of it showing her r estless anxiety again to withdraw either to F rance o r

i n . r to Savoy Although decla ed of full age , Duke Gian Galeazzo was

m r fact a e e puppet in the hands of his uncle , whose policy was to keep

r r his mother, as well as son , within his own cont ol and su rounded by

r h r v . v c eatures I n ot er respects , howe er, Bona appea s to ha e been

r r r as t eated with contemptuous indulgence , and she took a ce tain pa t

- r Duchess mother in the functions of the Cou t . This was notably the

r 1 8 an d case at the marriages of the Duke with Isabel of A agon in 4 9 ,

her 1 of daughter Bianca Maria with the Emperor Maximilian I . in 49

r 1 r 1 r m We hea of her again on 4th Octobe , 494, as receiving a visit f o

1 ' ’ ’ ' M r i m n I zor za 6 7 61 276 71 o o Stor ze def M mi a i I tal zani 1 8 0 . 8 Ros s 0 b , p , 4 , p 3 4 ; i i , ,

1 8 2 0 i v . 2 2 1 , . , p . 2 ' 8 i M l z sidue 1 6 . 8 1 0 . Nu t ae ediol anensi um ducum i n T. C fi a e/z Re p , , 44, pp 7 , IN TROD UCTION

n her ephew, Charles V I I I . of France , when he passed through the 1 r x h at Milanese borde s on his foolish e pedition to Naples . She was t en

r r h Pavia, which just a week later was the scene of the p ematu e deat

r r “ of her hapless son . Popula umour, which accused Ludovico of having ’ r hastened the Duke s end by poison , possibly did him w ong but he did his best to justify it by openly usurping the dukedom to the exclusion ’ ’ G al eazzo s U r of Gian infant son . nde these circumstances Bona s lot

r H er r was not likely to be any happie . t eatment at this time is , in fact ,

r r curiously illustrated by a letter add essed to Ludovico from Antwe p ,

1 r 1 v r r s on 7th Decembe , 494, by Gio anni Cotta , sec eta y to the Empres

r r r r r th e Bianca Ma ia , the writer of which not only t eache ously epo ts

r h er r bitte words used by her in venting her feelings to daughte , but

’ r r r r s has the effronte y to add that , when eading to his mist ess her mothe

r m letters , he passed ove all language of the kind and then i mediately 2 r burnt them . F om this awkward position Bona did not succeed i n

x r r 1 e t icating he self until December, 495 , when , on the demand of ’

r . v to Cha les V I I I , and in spite of the Pope s influence being in oked 3 r detain her, she was at length pe mitted to cross the Alps . As she

v r r h er v h ne e eturned to Milan , subsequent mo ements do not so muc ’ x concern us . E cept that she was r elieved fr om Ludov ico s humiliating

r h m for r for yoke , the change does not appea to ave been uch the bette ,

m r r although welco ed at first by Cha les and p ovided with a pension ,

i r she almost immediately fell nto neglect and obscu ity . We catch “ ” her e t r r glimpses of , as mal contenta mal vista, at Tou s , in Ap il , and vainly so liciting an audience with the K ing at Amboise fou r 5 m r 1 ar onths late ; and in January, 499 , she was at Lyons , app ently in “ m rr r want of eans to ca y her to Tu in . Her ultimate fate was long one

’ ’ ’ 1 Ma enta o ci t i i f . . . 1 . F . Del aborde L E x éa i on ae C /zar l es VI g , p , , p 5 3 ; H , p I I . err

tal i c 1 8 8 8 . 1 8 . I , , p 4 2 F a v B i anca M ar i a S or za Vi scon i 1 8 88 . t . . C l i, f , , p 94 3 m n o ci i v Ros . t . 2 0 i i , p , , p . 3 . 4 i Mar no amuto D i ar i . r zz i c l 1 1 8 S ed . a o 1 8 . o . . i , , N B i, 7 9, , 5 i o ci i 2 m n . t v. . 1 Ros . i , p , , p 3 6 ’ ' ' r C oaice Vi sc zzfe - z sc 1 8 n mcz i I tal i a 0 M o S or e o 6 . 6 a d M u m 1 8 0 o o o . bi , f , 4 , p 49 , p , 4 , p 3 5 . v i IN TROD UCTION

1 s r of the un olved p oblems of history, but closer investigation has now

1 th 1 0 proved that she died on 7 November, 5 3 , in the castle of Fossano ,

r r which had been g anted to her for a residence by her nephew Philibe t ,

2 1 3 r U t 1 00. Duke of Savoy, on Ap il , 5 nhappily this tardy recognition o f the claims of kinship did not secure her from being harassed by

o wa p verty to the very end . Milan s by this time in the power of the

r as i French , and Ludovico digesting the f uits of his ambition a pr soner at Loches ; and the state whose wealth had formerly supported her husband and herself in luxu r y and magnificence that were the wonder o f I I n I taly was now charged by Louis X . with a miserable pitta ce on

. m r s r her behalf S all as it was , howeve , it seem to have been irregula ly

sh r 1 2 N paid , and probably the last letter e eve wrote, on th ovember,

1 0 5 3 , was a pathetic remonstrance on the subject . The most obvious conclusion to be d rawn from this brief recital of ’ Bona s vicissitudes is that the M S . is antecedent in date to her fall from

o 1 80. rre r p wer in N ovember, 4 This might also be infe d pe haps from ” v r r s the Di a Bona , which figu es , as we have seen , in some of the bo der , s o adulatory an epithet natu rally suggesting that h er for tunes were not

et n . y o the wane For a . parallel to it we need not go beyond the Sforza family. A striking instance of its use will be found in the set speech ’ o f a s ss re Giasone del Maino , the Mil ne e amba ador, at Maximilian s ce ti on r r 1 6 r 1 p of his new emp ess at I nnsb uck on th Ma ch , 494, where the

r r r orator in glo ifying Ludovico, then at the height of his powe , unifo mly ” 2 s r r a re tyles him Divus Ludovicus . On the othe hand , the e con

r . siderations that make it , on the whole, mo e probable that the M S

o r r 1 8 - 1 really bel ngs to the late pe iod , 4 4 494 , when Bona , although d s eposed and slighted , till dwelt within the confines of Milan , and was presumably not yet debarr ed from indulging to some extent the

1 “ G . aretta Gl i u t m anni di ona Savo a Ar c/zi vi o Scor i co I fal i ano Cl , l i i B di i , , 6 1 8 0 . 2 . 7 , p 2 ‘ ’ ' Or ai i a f asoni s ni zi ai sszma i n mepti as Maxi mil i am r egi s ci B l ancce M ar i a r egi fzce ’ ma or um a 1 Ro n se . I t a c ur u r n nc i n h , B l , 494 i s io s p oof of Ludovico s asce de y t e state t at th e nam e of hi s n e ew th e actua Du e and rot er of th e Em ress i s not so h ph , l k b h p , muc as ment on h i ed . IN TR OD UCTION

’ sumptuous tastes that might be expected in Galeazzo Sforza s widow .

r I ts artistic treatment certainly favours this view ather than the other .

n r e Both in desig and execution , miniatures and borde s alike pr sent the characteristic Milanese style of the renaissance at its highest develop

o il r “ ment , which was nly attained under Ludovico Moro , who , whateve hi s ' m as ro de erits w . , a liberal pat n of the arts A splendid example , de scr ibed and reproduced below is fu r nished by the illuminated “ ” or a Sforzia da b der round the first p ge of the , which is one of the s u treasures of the Grenville Library in the B r itish Museum . Thi vol me ’ w as 1 0 r printed at Milan in 49 , and to all appea ance was Ludovico s

- r r . own presentation copy . The border the efo e was no doubt painted at

‘ ’ o r s r the same date , and , c mpa ing it with those in Bona Book of Hou s , the resemblance in every way is so marked that a ver y few years at l a ra r b een ' su ested most can h ve sepa ted them . I t has acco dingly gg

‘ - that the MS . w as intended by Bona as a wedding gift for her daughter , whose marr iage to Maximilian was solemnized with great pomp at "

1 . Milan on 3oth November, 49 3 Assuming that it must have been

for s prepared ome such special occasion , this theory is a plausible one ,

: r f. but it is enti ely unsupported by anything in the M S . itsel I t rests

for mainly on the supposition that the initials B . M . stand Bianca (not 2

r . v r Bona) Ma ia There is , however, e e y reason to believe that this is

the s v . . r not ca e (abo e , p iii ) and it is , moreover, a se ious objection that among the infinitely varied decorative details it is impossible to detect

- r r r the slightest allusion to an imperial alliance . This is the mo e ema k

‘ abl e as the marriage was one of which the upstar t Sfo rzas were justifiably

r r p oud , and it is hardly credible that it should have been delibe ately M i a S . r r . igno ed in a wo k specially ntended to celebr te it The , indeed , is not in the same state as when it left the hands of the artists , and it is possible therefo re that some evidence of the kind appeared on the

s v no v missing leave . As , howe er, concei able motive could have existed

r no in this case for destroying eve y trace of it, such a solution is by

‘ 1 mes and Guar di an 2 th Ma 1 8 Ti . , 4 y, 93 2 B L M. Bianca (Blanca) Mari a i s i n fact generally represented i n similar c ases by . v iii IN TROD UCTION

. r re means probable I t would be othe wise if the MS . had been really p

i n v m r p ared iew of an abortive match , the me o y of which it was desirable

t o r . 1 8 1 0 oblite ate And , as a matter of fact, between 4 7 and 49 Bianca

r a ffi a nced r C orvi nus r Ma ia was the b ide of John , natu al son and destined K 1 heir of Matthias , ing of Hungary . The sudden death of the elder Cor v i nus 1 0 fo r r t e in 49 nullified this scheme , , when the son failed to secu e h

r r r throne, Ludovico Sfo za, who me ely made use of his niece to fu ther

r . his ambition , at once turned elsewhere for a mo e suitable husband

f r or . The passion of Matthias sumptuously decorated M S S is noto ious, a nd r v rr a r - i n , had he su vi ed and the ma iage t ken place , his daughte law could hav e b r ought to Buda no more acceptable br idal - gift than a

r m r r v maste piece of M ilanese illu ination ; and , mo eove , if the olume was o riginally designed for this purpose and was still retained by Bianca

r r v Ma ia when she mar ied Maximilian , a moti e existed for its mutilation

r in the bitter hostility between Matthias and the house of H apsbu g, w r hich rende s it not unlikely that any allusion in it, by way of arms , d v or r r e ice , otherwise , to her p ojected union with his son would be ca e

f r . r ully emoved But , if such was the case, the wo k of excision was not d one so effectually as not to leave what m ay be taken as som e slight e vidence in suppo rt of this theor y of or igin for in a ser ies of heroines

r r x xv . depicted in the bo de s (below , p . ) the only two of any apparent

a re T he odel i nd m r . significance , "ueen of the Lo ba ds , and St Elizabeth

m r of H ungary . The ain difficulty of the theo y, of course , is to account m for the neglect to fill up the consequent lacunae at the ti e .

v r r fa r These , howe e , are only conjectu es, and , so as its own

t r . r estimony goes , the e is nothing to show that the M S was not w itten ’ and illuminated simply for Bona s own use and enjoyment . I t would a dd to its interest if it could be identified with a Book of Hours of

' which a cur ious stor y is told in a letter pr inted in the A r cé zoi o S tor i co ’ L m6 r a 1 8 8 r r a r a a o . U e for 5 , p nfo tunately the date and add ess

1 ‘ a vi o . ci z . 1 0. C l , p , p 2 ’ I n one o f a ser es of va ua e art c es on L arte del m n o nel ucato M ano i l bl i l i i d di il , ’ m il d M n fr er m n f h M r Ad . c o p e by G . o g i o otes o t e a chese Girolamo d da IN TR OD UCTION i x '

i s Presbiter r not g ven , but the writer, who signs him elf Johannes Pet us ” B i ra us or r F ra n g , Miniator, illuminator, p ays that a certain Gia

r Jacopo, then in p ison at Milan , might not be released until he had . “ ” compensated him fo r the theft of an Offic iol imperfecto which he

. t v r had in hand for Bona the Duchess . The accoun gi en of the matte

not nor rf is free from ambiguity, is the letter quite pe ect . I t appears , ’ however, that a section of the M S . was in Bona s possession , and of “ ” 1 2 2 0 r the stipulated price lib e still remained to be paid, while the

00 s stolen portion , valued at more than 5 ducat , had recently been

s s r or pre ented to the per on , apparently the titula virtual head of the h state , to whom the letter was addressed . From whom e obtained

w e r it are not info med , but it had previously been taken by the thief

r t to Rome and there sold to a f iar, who in his turn had ransferred it to “ ” s r w as Mon ignor Juan Ma ia Sforzino . The latter a bastard half

r r r b other of Galeazzo , Ascanio and Ludovico Sfo za, and by the favou of Cardinal Ascanio was after wards Archbishop of Genoa ( 1 498 ’ I n the A r cki oi o It IS conj ectured that B irago s appeal w as made to ’ z bee n r Bona s husband , Duke Galeaz o , but it might equally well have 2 v r ‘ made some years later to Ludo ico il Moro . I n the latter case the e

- h would be somet ing like an agreement in date between the two M S S . , ’ v r B ira o s v and moreo er , judging f om its cost, g , like the other, must ha e 3 ' r r i t im osmbl e c been of no o dina y kind . Though is p to onclude on

ar e such slight grounds that the two identical , the letter at least deserves notice , since it not only shows Bona in the character of a

r o f r pat on , but gives the name one of the illuminato s whom she

r r her r employed . The e is othe evidence of a tistic tastes in a letter to

1 ' ’ M r Samut D i ar i i i col 2 a e ett L e C fi zese d I fal i a x a no o . . i , , , 9 5 C pp ll i, , iii. , p. 3 7 7 .

Th e atter c a s him a son of Ga eazzo but see L tta tab . . l ll l , i , i 2 ’ - I n hi s I mi a i ni sul fa l i 6rer i a Vi sconteo S or zesca 1 8 i . . 1 6 d Adda i n act g f , 7 5 , , p 4 , , f , ac es it un r th e ear 1 pl d e y 490. 3 ’ ’ t r i o aeZZ Ar e 8 From a recent scovere ocument Ar c/i i oi o S o c i 1 . i ly di d d ( , 94, p t ’ ” appears that Li onardo da V i nc i s V ierge aux Rochers was valued at no more than ’

1 00 ucat r h r M w as wort 00. The va uat on i n s e eas t e sto en ort on of Bi a o s S. d , wh l p i g h 5 l i ’ eac case was th e art st s own h i . IN TROD UCTION

2 th her from the Marquis Federigo Gonzaga , dated Mantua, o J une ,

1 8 0 r r no 4 , f om which it appea s that she had applied to less famous 1 a master than Mantegna to paint a miniature for her .

M r r S . To return to the Museum , although the e is no inte nal ’ it r m r r evidence to connect with Bianca Ma ia s a iage, there is a strong p resumption from its after history that it was given to he r at some time

m a r Offi ciol um ae or other by her mother, and it y pe haps be the Mari Vi rginis which is included in the wonderful inventory of he r trousseau 2 u and all she took with her to Germany . Ass ming it to have belonged

r h er r 1 1 0 u to the Emp ess , at death without child en in 5 it wo ld

he r n r naturally pass to husba d Maximilian , who himself died ea ly in

1 1 r r r r 5 9 . leaving his g andson Cha les, th ough his fi st wife Mary of

r r K r Bu gundy, as his heir. Al eady ing of Spain and Sove eign of the

r r m r r r 2 8 th Nethe lands , Cha les was elected E pe o as Cha les V . on June ,

1 1 r d 1 2 r r 2 r 0 . o 5 9 , and c owned on 3 October, 5 Whether by inhe itance

r MS othe wise , he certainly came into possession of the . , and these dates

r t are of special inte est in connection with it , as coinciding with the ime

r v when it was completed in the state in which it now is . F om whate er

i ts v r r r cause , missing lea es had clea ly been abst acted befo e this , and it is

r r l v r significant that the fi st of the substituted miniatu es (pl . . ) bea s the

1 1 v r r m m r date 5 9 , the e y yea in which the utilated volu e p esumably

h i m r r r s r . descended to Cha les V . f om g andfather These iniatu es, which

r r a re m will be discussed mo e at length late on , all of the Fle ish school

r r r v s and of the highest excellence . The mo e nume ous inse ted lea e

m m are m m that erely co plete the text of the sa e date . Two only of the

1 ] a M 1 2 6 h am ter i d n r ri . t. I 6 . T e s e et s ev e t err d P a s S ta . n o. 1 e e , Bib N , l 5 9 , l i ly f ’ d and Mon er h Ar t r nz 8 he i d Ad a i i n t e c/z. l o 6 1 8 . u t or na to S o . . t o by g , 5 , p 7 7 7 , h gh ig l ’ i r sai to b e i n a r vate c o ec ti on ona s re uest moreover i s erroneous stated s th e e d p i ll . B q ly

“ ' to have b een for a b ook of pray ers ( C he gl i mi ni asse nu libro di Th e ‘ 2 3 actua text runs H o r cevuto il ri tracto de l a i ctura c he l a R vostra m e h a mandato l i p , a ni i nstanti a cum An r a M n na i i c r l riduta d an t rm et f cto og d e a teg m o p to e o a eleg e fo a. E1 ua e me ce che l a sari a o era i u resto da mi n atore cha sua erc e l ui non e q l di p p p i , p h assueto in ere fi ure co e an z assai me i o ar a una nostra ona over ua c e a tra p g g pi l , i gl f i d q l h l ” c osa de l on eza de uno razo aut uno razo e mezo etc g b b , . 2 Ar c/z tor . L om6 1 8 . 2 . n i a Mar i a S r za . S . 6 I Ita i an a so i n a v B nca o , 7 5 , p l l C l i, f ’ ” Vi sconl i 1 U no offici ol o d e nostra Dona cum l e asse d ar ento , p. 33 , , g , IN TROD UCTION x i

r r ff 8 r m v s . a e have bo de s ( 4 , which in an i itati e Italian tyle, while

r r the text itself is in two or mo e hands, modelled on that of the o iginal

s r r r. I talian scribe , but much les g aceful and egula The peculiar black ness of the ink in some places is a noteworthy feature . This is a

r r r cha acte istic of Spanish M SS . , and , with some details in the miniatu es ,

art it suggests the probability that , although the style of is essentially

r r r r Flemish , the wo k of restoration was ca ried out in Spain or unde st ong

n r Spanish influence . That Charles V . was intimately co ce ned with it is evident fr om the fact of his portrait being prominently introduced in one of the two later borders (pl . I t is painted in gold on an oval

1 2 0 r medallion , with the date 5 minutely insc ibed on the rim and the ” K o r r K I K a rol us initial monog am . . , for Imperator, four times repeated outside ; and in its general treatment it strongly resembles the etched

r him r m . po trait of by Je o e Hopfer, dated in the same year As other

' b ooks th a t r belonged to him testify, he was not insensible to the cha ms

MS v of a fine illuminated . , and it is not too iolent an hypothesis that , on ’ r m inhe iting Bona s volu e , he at once took steps to have its deficiencies its made good . Be that as it may, the M S . undoubtedly took final

r 1 1 — 1 2 1 shape within the th ee years 5 9 5 , the later limit being fixed by

1 5 1 r r X . a p ayer 5 3) in which Pope Leo , who died on Decembe ,

1 2 1 v r 5 , is spoken of as still li ing . I ts subsequent histo y, down to

1 8 1 r v r 7 , is unfo tunately in olved in obscu ity . Opinions m ay differ acco rding to taste as to the relative superior ity

m r r of the Italian and Flemish iniatu es, but it will ha dly be denied that they equ ally deserve to rank am ong the finest su r viving examples of their r espective schools . The full table of the subjects depicted is as follows, those treated by Flemish artists being mar ked by difference of type

i n 1 Annunci at o f. 1 1 St. o n f. q Tfi e . . J h , . - , 4 o e Vi si tati on . f. 61 . 2 . St. Lu e f. . O Tb k , 4 (pl Ador ati on o Me An el s at B et/z Matt e f. Tb e St . 3 . . h w, 7 f g

mm f. 8 2 6. Mar k . 1 1 St. f. 0 6 4 . (pl . , 7 ’ B et/zl em 1 nr i st na il a Me r s I O Tl ze /ze /i er as at e/z f. . C e to C s . S . 6 o f. 1 2 . 5 , p , 9 t e Ma i D sc nt f h I I Tl i e Ador ati on o il . Th e e e o t e r . 6 . o S t H ly pi i , f g (pl

2 8 f. . f. . 97 N N x ii I TROD UCTIO .

i s n 1 t i on til e m t a t a . f. 6. 1 2 Tne P r esen at n Te l e . S . Se . p (pl b i (pl 93

ii 1 0 6. l vii . , f 4 St. u an f. 1 6. ) J li , 94 1 . eor e . f. 1 6. 3 St. G g (pl 95

"

1 . i St re or . x i . 1 6 6 4 . G g y (pl ) , f 9 . “ r i d 1 . Tl i e Vi i n and C l i l : Sa ve Re na m 1 6 t ero e . 5 g l gi , S . J , f. 97 f 1 6 . 33 . St. Am rose . 1 8 6 b (pl 9 .

1 6 Tne E ntr i nto erusal em f. 1 6 6. . y j , 3 Au ust ne . 1 f. 6. St. g i (pl 99 m nt f u as 1 ' 1 The a e o . f. . 7 . P y J d (pl 3 7 l _ rnar 2 00 6 St. . f. Be d (p .

8 The Last Su er . . 1 8 6. 1 . p (pl f 3 p enr th e is o . St. H y B h p (pl

G semane f. 1 6. 1 . et 9 h , 45 £ 2 0 1 6.

‘

2 0 r l wa a t v f. 1 6 . st ed a e . Anton 2 0 2 6 4 St f. . Ch i y C p i , 7 . y , r n 1 2 1 . hr st e o e A nas . f. 6. s h A ot 2 0 6 4 t G e t e . f. . C i b f (pl 9 S . il bb (pl 3 2 i st ore a as 1 1 6 “ 2 . r e f. . St . A ert L erator a febribus Ch b f C iph , 5 lb , ib m 1 6 2 . Ecc e o o . . , f. 2 0 6 3 H f 5 3 (pl . 4 .

f. 1 6 1 T h ruc fi x on . . 2 . e l f. 2 r Mart r 0 6. t Pete . 4 C i i (pl S . y (p 5 r “ 2 . The De os t on rom th e ross o Mi n r t. Franc s ater o um 5 p i i f C , S i , P 6 eta . f. 1 . Pi (pl 5 f. 2 0 6 6.

“

2 6. Th e S m o s of th e ass on f. 1 6 . f i na xxi . ernar no o S e . y b l P i , 7 St. B di (pl ) ‘ i 2 As um n f th V r n . 0 6 2 T h e s t o o e . . 7 . p i i g (pl f 7

f. 1 0 . A xan r a 2 08 St. at ar ne of e f. 6. 7 C h i l d i , “ e Vi i n and 6il d : I ntem 2 8 . l r C O f i ena St at ar ne o S . g . . h i (pl ” C erata . . 1 6. 7 f. 2 0 6 (pl f 7 9 . Mic ae h e Arc n e “ 2 St. t a . . Di sci ul a S. Fran ci sci St. are ; 9 h l h g l (pl Cl , p 8 6 6 f. 1 . 2 1 0 6. (pl . f.

Th a t sm of r st . 0 . e M a n . 2 1 1 6 St Mar a d e f. . 3 B p i Ch i (pl . y g l (pl 1 6 f. 8 7 . — i n en tenc . 2 1 2 6 2 1 6 1 . D avi e 5 5 d p i , ff , 5 ,

1 . St. P eter . 1 8 8 6. , f 2 1 8 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 . T/ze rst 3 , 5 , 7 , 3 , 3 3 fi

‘ 8 ser i i F emi s/z 1 6. n t/i e es s l f. o ( . 2 St Andr ew . 3 . . (pl 9 ly if ”

f. 2 l ain K ri l e son f. 2 6 St ames the G reater . 6 . A l S ts : e . 3 3 . . J (pl y y , 3

1 0 6. 6 T/ze R ai si n o L azar us f. 2 6. 9 3 . g f , 5 7 6 . St. Ste en f. 1 1 . f V r 3 4 ph , 9 6 . The Deat o th e n . 4 h i gi , (pl

2 6 f. 2 2 . St. Laurenc e f. 1 . 3 5 . , 9 7

r - r r r m r The fo ty eight I talian miniatu es , as the ea lie , clai the fi st

are m r attention . They not all by the sa e hand , and nine in pa ticular

r v r show a ma ked di ergence in style from the est . This is more

r r r especially the case with the fi st th ee , epresenting St . John , St . Luke,

a are m and St M tthew, the designs of which a little co monplace, though

r the colour ing is ich . To a less extent the same may be said of the

s i x i 6 figures in the which illustrate the Penitent al Psalms (nos . 5

‘ r r m but the landscape backgrounds , with their cu ious ar ange ent of

c a re v . rocks piled one on another ( f pl . more effecti e N o

IN TROD UCTION

1 - r blue skull cap . The remaining figures are in red , blue and g een . I t may be noticed in passing that the Flemish ar tist who painted the E ntry into Jer usalem on the opposite page evidently worked with this

r r r miniatu e before him , the strongly ma ked Jewish featu es of Judas , as

r well as his costume , being exactly copied . Pl . ii . , the Last Suppe , is

r MS . in all points one of the finest miniatu es in the whole , the finish

r given to the features being especially noticeable . Our Lo d is clothed

red r in a obe with the high lights in gold , a small portion of a blue

is mantle being visible over H is left shoulder. On His right seated

. r r r St Pete , who wears a g een obe edged with gold and a mantle of blue

r lined with yellow ; while St . John on the other side is in paler g een ,

r e d i with a mantle lined with blue . Judas is habited as in pl . . , the apostle on his right in a red r obe and a blue mantle lined with green the r est a re in var ious combinations of the same colour s as those already

. r r specified Of the servito s in the foreg ound , the one on the left has a

r ed r - v blue tunic and hose , the other a light green tunic , blue unde slee es ,

r r a crimson belt, and pale yellow hose . The floo is g een , the panels

r r r r of the balustrade alte nately da k g een and c imson , with borders of

b r r r light lue and an outer fra mewo rk of gold . The se vitor in the ea stands in fr ont of a cu r tain of m y rtle green studded and bordered with

r r m u gold ; he wea s a c i son t nic , open at the neck and showing blue

- . r w r r beneath Like the est , he has a white stole o n deacon wise ove the

a re left shoulder . All the table utensils are of dull gold , as also the

. r nimbi That of Judas , howeve , is an exception , being coloured a light

r r r r b own . I n the small subsidia y scenes in the uppe co ner s the back

r u ar e r re d g o nds in shades of blue , the figu es in , blue and green . As

r a re r in othe cases , they less ca efully executed than the main subject ,

r r and we e pe haps put in by a pupil . Pl . iii . , Christ before Annas , may

r ff r r r also be the wo k of a di e ent hand , togethe with the two miniatu es

r r r on eithe side of it in the above list . Our Lord wea s a obe of clear

r ed r . light blue , showing a lining at the w ists Annas , whose bloated

1 Th e wor at th e oot of th e a e i n t i s and ot er cases i s the n tia wor of th d f p g , h h , i i l d e acc om an n esson or ra er Th e etters are i n o on a ue or cr mson roun p yi g l p y . l g ld bl i g d. IN TROD UCTION x v

m features recall so e of the grotesque designs of Lionardo , is also in blue ,

o r with l ose sleeves and hood of yellow , the latte being lined with grey w hile the figu re holding the pastoral staff has a blue skir t and re d

m w s . bodice , with sleeves fro the elbo of green lashed with white

r x Pl . iv . , the C ucifi ion , does not do adequate justice to what is really

r a fine and harmonious composition , the imp ession of confusion and ov ercrowding which it may be thought to conv ey being largely due to

r r r r the loss of the colou ing . The soldie s in the foreg ound wear da k b ronze - like armour ; the one on the left has moreover a pale yellow

r r su coat and green sleeves, the one on the right a green su coat and blue

v r red v slee es and cap , and the thi d a blue surcoat and slee es , while our ’ r r for r Lo d s ga ment which they are casting lots is a clea blue . The ’ r r red m Vi gin s obe is of shot with gold , her antle and hood of blue

r re d lined with green St . John , as before , is in g een , with a mantle of

r r . lined with blue . I n the beautiful Deposition f om the C oss (pl v . ) the

r m r m Vi gin is si ila ly clothed the other wo en , beginning on the left , are

‘ red l r in green and blue lined with red , and yellow ined with g een , and

a n blue d yellow lined with green . Nicodemus behind is in blue and red Ari mathma w , Joseph of in yello and blue the mantles of both being

r r are rr lined with g een . I n the backg ound the Ha owing of Hell and

rr m r m c . r the Resu ection , not in separate co pa t ents (f . pl but fo ming

r r m r . pa t , as it we e , of the sa e pictu e I n the miniatu res of Saints there is naturally m ore scope for v r r r a iety of t eatment ; and thei landscape settings , though deficient in

' atmospher e and without the ex quisitely soft effects of distance which

m r r r m i pa t such a cha m to the p oductions of the Fle ish school , are

r r are often of singular inte est . I n nea ly all cases , the trees and rocks

r v r r r pu ely con entional , the forme being gene ally ounded in form and

r . r r r are of a somb e hue The a chitectu al featu es , on the contrary ,

v i xx r r n highly realistic pl . . , xi . , ) ; while the fo eg ou ds and the w ater which is nearly always introduced in the middle distance a re fl r . skilfully t eated The sky is a clear blue , with light eecy clouds of

r r r white or gold , toning down towa ds the ho izon into a lighte blue or xvi IN TROD UCTI ON

r e r r r g e nish yellow pl . A cha acte istic featu e in many cases

' is the p res ence i n the foreground of formal stumps of trees cut off

r a re cleanly near to the g ound . They e specially observable in the

r s . w f . . o miniatu e , such as pl xx and that St . Jerome (no hich in

r r r l other respects most nea ly esemble the se ies of the Penitential Psa ms ,

are It where they equally in evidence . may be noticed also that the loose stones which often cover the ground a re br ightly tinted so as to s look almo t like jewels . By the aid of the list above the subjects of most of the miniatures are easily recognizable ; a few of the designs , however, need explana

r r . tion , and others for va ious easons may be briefly noticed I n

. r r pl . vi , commemo ating the Assumption , the Vi gin is in white shaded

r r . with grey , while the che ubs who su round her are in a halo of gold

r The angel on the left is in green , with wings , sleeves , and colla of red r r r shot with gold ; the other angel is in the same colou s eve sed . i v i . v . . r r St Michael , in pl , wea s a deep blue surcoat ove a iolet tunic , which is seen only at the shoulders and below his golden arm our ; his

a re r v r wings of g een , iolet , and c imson heightened with gold ; his legs

r i a r m e . are ba e as far as the boots , wh ch of lake The fiend on who

r m r r he is t a pling is colou ed g een , spotted with gold , his wings ,

n r d o v r e . . v our r r h we e , bei g Pl iii . , the Baptism of Lord , is ema kable

v r r for its luminosity and ivid colou ing , more particula ly the blue of the ’ m ou r r sky and strea , of Lo d s garments borne by the angel on the

r . left , and of the robe of the angel holding the c oss The Baptist is

a nd richly clad in a robe of red gold , lined with pale green . I n pl . ix .

r r m r r the scene ep esented is the baptism by St . Ja es the G eate of

r Josias , the officer who was leading him to execution , but was conve ted

m u f on the way and conde ned to s f er with him . The saint is clad in

red n blue , with a mantle of and gold lined with green . The kneeli g figures wear loose drapery of pale yellow and white r espectively ; the

r elderly man on the left is in blue and crimson , the soldier in g een and

r the gold . The dwa f on right has blue hose , and a red and gold tunic Open in front and sh ow mg a dark green vest ; the executioner wears IN TROD UCTION x vii a b r ick - red jacket with ragged under - sleeves of pale green ; and the

r d r . re figu e behind St James has a blue turban , a blue obe lined with ,

- r . a nd a green under garment . I n the Marty dom of St Sebastian

r r (pl . x . ) the saint has a cinctu e of pale yellow ; the judge a obe of d r e w . and gold turned up at the wrists ith white , and a blue hood

r r r The chair on which he sits is of g een bo de ed with gold , and the s m r r teps leading up to it are of the sa e colou s faced with c imson . The

r two archers in the foreground wear blue tunics and b ight red hose,

v r - r ed the foremost one also ha ing golden shoulde pieces , sleeves slashed

r r r with white , and blue boots ; and the bea ded a che behind has a

d a xi r re . . . v green tunic and vest, with p le yellow hose I n pl the e y

r r r r y outhful St . Geo ge is clad in golden a mou and a blue su coat his

- r under sleeves a r e red and his boots r ed tu r ned up with blue . Befo e

r him kneel the king and queen , the forme in red and gold , with a blue c r r— v r r olla and unde slee es while on the ight the rescued p incess , in a

r e d v r r blue robe with slee es and floating d ape y of pale yellow, leads the

r r r r d ragon by a golden ibbon . The tamed monste is painted da k g een

r . and gold, with c imson and blue on his wings

r r r r r The miniatu e ep oduced in pl . xii . is pe haps the most b illiant in

. r r r r c olouring of all . St G egory is obed in white and sca let the cu tain

r behind him is of gold , the desk of gold , c imson and light blue . The

r r r r acolytes on eithe side wear long blue obes , the colla s and unde sleeves from the elbow being of green . The wall behind is a rich

r r r my tle g een , the windows of pale blue glass f amed in lake , the

v r u fl r r bound olumes c imson and bl e the oor is g een , the steps c imson

r r bo de ed with gold, and the initial word Concede gold on a blue

r r . . ground . Pl . xiii . ep esents the baptism of St Augustine by St Ambrose m fi D 8 . a t A. . v Milan , in 3 7 The ni bus of the of ciating saint , who is ested

r r v in an alb and a c imson cope lined with g een , is just isible behind his

r . mit e . St Augustine has a cincture of pale yellow the cassocks and stoles of the clergy and others a re of light blue or scarlet ; the second

r r f figu e on the left, holding the pasto al staf , is in pale yellow, and the

. . x i o ther behind St Augustine on his left in blue The subject of pl . v . d x viii IN TR OD UCTION

o is well kn wn , and has been treated by some of the most famous artists ,

r Raphael and Mu illo included . The story ran that , while meditating

r r his t eatise on the T inity, St . Augustine one day came upon a Child seated on the shore and pr ofessedly trying to empty the ocean into a hole which H e had dug in the sand . Naturally he pointed out that the

r task was futile , when the Child p omptly retorted that it was not more so than the attempt to explain the myster y of the divine natu r e . The ’ r r nimbus ound the Child s head here identifies H im , as in othe cases , with Ch r ist H imself ; and the allusion is still further emphasized by the ’ r r semblance of the T inity suspended in the sky . St . Be nard s Vision

r . r u r of the Vi gin (pl xv . ) has also been a favou ite s bject with a tists , and

r m r r its t eat ent he e is a pleasing example . The saint, who wea s a black m habit, is accompanied by his e blem , a chained demon , whose body is

r r of da k b own heightened with gold and his wings of blue . The desk and seat a re of cr imson picked out with gold and bor dered with gold

r . and blue and the floor is composed of g een , violet and yellow tiles

U r x i m . v r . nlike the est, the saint comme o ated in pl is of doubtful

. r identity I n the accompanying p ayer, indeed , he is styled Henricus

r Pontifex , but the only bishop of the name gene ally recognized as a

the r U saint in hagiologies is Hen y, Bishop of psal and apostle of the

r Finns (d . whose p esence in an I talian Book of Hours is

m r v r extre ely improbable . The e is a possible alternati e in Henry, A ch

m r r . bishop of Rei s (d . an a dent disciple of St Be nard , whose

r m r r miniatu e i mediately p ecedes . Although neve actually canonized , he appears to have been admitted to the prelim inary degr ee of a ” 1 r Beatus, and , as son of Louis V I . of F ance and Adelaide of Savoy, he was not only a member of the royal house with which Bona of

v h r e . Sa oy had intimate relations , but belonged to own family St .

r far r r Louis , howeve , a mo e illust ious saint, might equally have claimed

r r r her devotion on the same g ounds ; and , compa ing the kneeling g oup

1 H e i s to fi nd a ac i n Ac a a nctor um w en th e or r eac es the 1 th D c e the t S e . pl , h w k h 5 D e r osecuti one o er i s B ol l andzani 1 8 8 An ot er enr who i s ca e eatus ( p p , 3 , p. h H y ll d B was A ot of airvaux and ar - f A an d bb Cl C dinal Bishop o lb o ( . IN TR OD UCTION x i x

r he e with that in pl . xviii . , it would seem as if the bishop depicted was

r r specially a healer of the sick . But, whateve its motive , the miniatu e

r r is one of g eat ichness and beauty . The saint is sumptuously robed in episcopal vestm ents of deep blue bordered with gold and lined with

m - r . r r W l th r v c i son The angel in the fo eg ound is in blue , unde slee es of pale yellow and wings of gold ; the angel behind has a r obe and

r ed r - v wings of and gold , with unde slee es of green . The kneeling

r r r re d r figu e in f ont wea s a blue tunic , and a cloak lined with g een the

m m an h d e r r re . wo an next to him is in pale blue, and the on ight in

r r The peacock , which is exquisitely painted , is probably a me e o na m ’ r . r r m x . ental accesso y and not St Hen y s pa ticular emble . I n pl . vii ,

v r r r r s v howe e , the two a ows lying on the g ound identify St . Gile e en ” r r G ilii e e . H e r r without the ub ic , Oratio S Abbatis . is not often p

a r t r of red sented in I talian , but is he e depicted in an alb and a cope and gold , lined with blue . The angel on the left has a pale yellow ski r t and sleeves and a blue bodice the one on the right a light blue skir t and slee ves and a light gr een bodice the wi ngs of both a re of re d

. r r tinged with gold St . Albe t of T apani (pl . on the contrary, was

r r m m essentially an I talian saint ; mo eove , he is the latest co me orated in M S . 1 6 r the , not having been canonized until 47 . He appea s in the

r r r h b own and white ga b of a Ca melite , an angel on eit er side , clad in pale

r v r e d r m g een with wings and slee es of and gold , bea ing his e blems , a lily “ . r r r feb ribus and an open book He is called in the rub ic Libe ato a ,

r m r r w r u and the e is a a ked cont ast bet een the two kneeling g o ps . Those

r a re m r r on the ight pale and e aciated with feve , and have thei heads swathed in linen bandages the boy wears a pale green tunic and blue

r hose , the man is in pale yellow with g een hose , and the woman in light

. d r r v r blue The others , whom he is ad essing, appea to ha e been cu ed, m . hi and have the hue of health The child is in white , the woman next

r v in a light blue d ess , the full slee es being pale yellow and the close

fitting under - sleeves green edged with gold ; while the second woman has

r e d r r . r a d ess , and g een sleeves slashed with white The mo e subdued

r r d f v tones and pleasing design of this miniatu e en er it peculiarly ef ecti e . x x IN TROD UCTION .

. . r The subject of pl xix , St . Pete Martyr the Dominican being slain by

r r assassins on the way f om Como to Milan, and w iting the initial word

r r of the C eed on the g ound with his blood , is common enough, and

15 there no special point of interest in its treatment . Only one of the ’ r v r assassins is int oduced , who clea es the saint s skull with one swo d

s while he stabs his companion fr iar with another . The two Dominican

r a wea the black and white habit of their order . The assassin has

- fi tti n close g blue jacket, with white at the neck and elbow his belt and

r - a re r shoulde tags red and gold , and his boots green his hose is pa ti

r w r . coloured , the ight leg being yello and blue , the left crimson and g ey

. . r r r r . I n pl xx , we have the founde himself of the ival o de , St Francis of

r r S r r Assisi , epresented in the act of eceiving the tigmata, the se aphic figu e ,

a - d r re r e r . whose folded wings blood , hove ing above Another F anciscan s r m r r r r r aint appea s in pl . xxi . , the fa ous p eacher and efo me of the orde ,

r r 1 0 r r St . Be na dino of Siena , who was canonized in 45 , six yea s afte

r r r his death . Like St . F ancis himself, he wea s the b own habit and

i n rr t hood , heightened with gold ; his hand he ca ies his emblem , a table b r r m ea ing on a blue g ound the na e I H S . within a circle of golden h . r r r a re r r t e rays The two f ia s in f ont in b own , the othe two in black , mitr es they a re offering h im typifying the th ree bishoprics which he r i z m an d v . r U . efused , Siena, Fe o rbino

. r 11 r St Catha ine of Siena, in pl . xx . , is the second of fou female

r r . r saints, who complete the se ies . While the olde St Catha ine of Alexandr ia is depicted in the preceding miniatur e as rescued fr om

r r he r the wheel by a sto m of stones and fire f om heaven , I talian

r r n r namesake appea s in a cha acter commo to both , as the spi itual

br ide of the Saviou r receiving from H im the ring of espousal . I n this char ming composition both ou r Lo rd and H is mother wear a red r ou r r obe and blue mantle, that of Lord showing a g een lining .

r m r St . Catha ine and St . Do inic , the founde of the order to which she

a re h K belonged , in black and white , w ile ing David , who stands behind

r r the Vi gin , has a red robe with blue colla . The two saints on the left

a are pparently St . Paul and St . John ; the former is in red and blue , x x ii IN TROD UCTION r v r r ich iolet cope, the bo de of which is of gold , studded with jewels ; while the two apostles nex t to him on either side are in green and

r ed r r v m red , and and g een , especti ely, the antle in each case being

v r r ed lined with blue . The co e let of the couch is of heightened with ” gold the Venite is on a blue ground and the floor - tiles a re dark

r - g een and slate blue .

r r a re v r f r The I talian bo de s in se e al dif e ent hands , those between

1 2 r ff. 45 and 7 , with some st iking exceptions pl . xxxv . being

r r r r r a re r n gene ally infe io to the est . The g ounds mostly ich crimso ,

r m r r blue , and my tle green , the sa e panel often containing all th ee colou s ,

v r r two disposed in e tical bands , and the thi d filling up the spaces enclosed

r are within the o namental designs . These designs painted in gold and s r v r oftly modulated tones of light blue , g een , iolet , and g ey ; and many o f them for fer tility of invention and perfection of finish could har dly

r x r be su passed . They e hibit an infinite va iety of the beautiful

r r r v r a abesques characte istic of the enaissance , in which ases , t ophies

r r r - r riffi n s and candelab a , delicate foliage , flowe s and sc oll wo k , g , fawns ,

x r r r r sphin es , and othe fanciful c eatu es , amo ini in all attitudes , medallions 1 r r - or x m containing po t ait busts e quisite copies of antique ge s , and

m r r m r ar e r cunningly si ulated pea ls , ubies and e e alds , ha moniously inter

r - r r mingled . I n no case does the sc oll wo k extend beyond the st aight

r r n o r are r r line of the bo de , the e any of the spots of bu nished gold with

m r radiating fila ents common in I talian M S S . of othe schools at this

r u r are r f pe iod and , altho gh the colou s b ight , the general ef ect is one of

r x r r r ichness ather than e t eme b illiancy . At the head and foot of the

m r a re page small iniatu es usually intr oduced . The subjects depicted a re m a nd someti es independent , such as birds beasts, among which a

r for v r r pa tiality is shown the do e , white abbit , and ermine, the fi st two ,

r r . r are v r r at least , being ecognized Sfo za emblems The e , howe e , seve al

m r rm r or instances in which the iniatu es fo a se ies , having a more less

r r r x r r r approp iate efe ence to the te t . The fi st of these se ies, unning

1 f h u ct 1 0 6 i s th - nown on of i me o i n th e a a i One o t e s bj e s (f. 9 ) e well k e D o d h ld g P ll d um

' i se eu c/z c I nsti tuts r 8 2 0 i s Ar nci ol e n . 8 8 . 2 tab v a6r 6. des K a r l . D t . . 1 . . (j , B li , iii , , p , i i IN TROD UCTION x x iii

r r 1 —2 v th ough the H ours of the Holy C oss (ff. 3 gi es the symbols of the Passion in the upper compartments ; . while in the lower ones

r r r r pat ia chs , apostles , and saints , beginning with I saac , Pete , Ba nabas ,

r r r r and Paul , are cu iously epresented by naked amo ini ca rying an

m r m r e blem or othe indication of identity, with the na e gene ally

r r v . . w itten in the co ner, as may be seen in plates xx i and xxvii A still finer ser ies of eighteen miniatures illustr ates the Hou r s of the Holy

r ff 2 a r r Spi it ( . 9 the subjects of which e r ichly d aped angels playing

r r are on musical inst uments . The fo ms of the v ar ious instruments not

r r the least interesting featu e of the design . They include , among othe s ,

1 h u rd — r a lute played with a plectrum (f. a bagpipe (f. 3 b) , a y gu dy

b r ow . 2 (f. a monochord with a (f 3 a cla inet with a bladder

~ r r or r . (f. a cu ved ho n , cornetto , pie ced with holes (f 3 4 a pan pipe mm r l r f. m r a so pie ced with holes ( a pipe , and a onocho d with a ha e

m r 6 . r (f. 3 a dulci e (f and a psalte y (f. Six pages of this

are r r r xx v h m series he e ep oduced (plates iii . Among t e , the

m r r r bo r der in pl . xxix . has a iniatu e with a ground of da k g een spotted

r r - v a r with gold the angel has a blue obe , with unde slee es of p le g een

r r r and wings of c imson shot with gold . I n pl . xxx . the g ound is da k ’ r r r - v r m c imson the angel s robe is of sage g een , his unde slee es of c i son ,

re d . his wings of light blue , green , and The wings of the angel in h xx . are r r r e r r pl . x i also of th ee colou s , lake , blue, and g een d ess is of re d h er r r - v r r and gold , colla and unde slee es of g een , while the g ound of

m r r r m rm r the iniatu e is of da k blue . C i son again fo s the backg ound of ’

. r r pl . xxxii , but the angel s wings , togethe with the bands c ossed on his

r r are b east and the psalte y on which he is playing, of plain gold ; his

r r r r . d ess is of soft g ey, the sleeves pale blue , and the colla pale g een l r . x xxv v r r The page figu ed in p . is one of se e al in this pa t of the M S . which differ in character from the rest in hav ing the text not enclosed

r r rm r r r r within the o dina y fo of borde , consisting of fou ectangula panels ,

r r r r m but suspended , as it we e , in f ont of an a chitectural f a ework . The

r r 1 bo der immediately p eceding (f. 5 ) is the best in this style , but the

r attempt to reproduce it satisfacto ily was unsuccessful . I t has a x x iv IN TROD UCTION c r m r r m ha ming a o ino standing on eithe side, and in the co partment at

x Mante ne u e - the bottom two sphin es and a fine g sq Medusa like head . I n t he bor der here gi ven the background is a somewhat disagr eeable tone o f r r r blue, the f amewo k is of gold picked out with c imson , and the c r r andelab a of gold shaded with grey . The o namentation on the top

r r are r is also in g ey, togethe with the two masks , which on a c imson

r r r r g ound bo de ed by bands of blue . The chief att action of the page ,

v r r x howe e , is the cha ming bust of a young girl , which is e quisitely

r . r painted on a black g ound H er complexion is a clea blonde, strings o f r a re r red r pea ls entwined in her light golden hai , and d apery

h r r touched with gold is about e r shoulde s . This bust might pe haps be

r r r r r r thought to ep esent Bianca Ma ia Sfo za . I t bea s , howeve , little r h er r r r r r r esemblance to fine po t ait in the B e a at Milan , fo me ly

r r r r r att ibuted to Liona do da Vinci , but by Mo elli to Amb ogio de P edis

m r r and it is not i p obably copied f om a gem of the younger Faustina .

r v f fa r r . I n deco ati e ef ect the bor der in pl . xxxvi . is superio The

r r r g ound of this is of c imson , the o namentation merely of gold and

r a re r r tende shades of grey , while the peacocks in their natu al colou s ,

r r r m m r wonde fully ende ed . I n the s all iniatu e at the foot of the page

r rr r the g ound is black sta ed with gold , within a bo der of blue ; the s r ed r aint is clothed in light blue , with a mantle of elieved with gold .

f v m r r are d Equally ef ecti e co binations of c imson , gold and g ey foun in

x xxv111 a nd xl i r p lates . . , slight touches of blue and g een being added i n a r . the former and the initials B . M . st nding on a blue g ound I n x v . xx xl r r r p lates x x ii , x ix . and . , on the cont a y, the grounds are b illiantly

r - r - r pa ti colou ed and the medallion busts , amo ini and jewels are especially n fo r r x x x v oticeable a tistic beauty and finish . I n pl . ii . the small cameo

r r on the ight has some likeness to the p ofile of Gian Galeazzo , as 3 xl r engraved on his coins ; and the bust in pl . . , which , togethe with the

1 ’ ee th e ront i c B i anca a i a or za Vi sconti 1 8 88 and Muntz S f isp e e of Galvi s M r Sf , , ,

Renai ssance 1 8 8 2 2 I a . . , 5 , p 3 2 See ern ou i D i e B i l dni sse der R omi sc/zen K ai ser 1 8 1 tab . i v. 8 . B ll , , 9 , 3 n chi L e Mon te di Mi an ta xv G ec e l o e i . , , bl IN TROD UCTION x x v

o rs . val plaque, is in gold , is possibly intended for Bona he elf The

r . v . . inte est of pl xlii . lies mainly in the de ice and motto (see above , p ii)

are r o x These painted on a blue g ound the ph eni being of gold, with

r r w wings touched with red , blue and g een . Othe ise the border, like

o r r m iv r . the s in its immediate neighbou hood , is co parat ely poo in design With the Prayers on the Passion a better hand again takes up

r r r r the deco ation , the colou s being deepe and riche in tone, and the d esigns more delicately elaborated and from this point to the end of

h r t e . r r r v M S the bo de s , though more a tists than one ha e appa ently

c r r r . r r ont ibuted , are unifo mly of the highest o der The above p aye s

r or occupy five pages only, the bo der of each including one more inci d f o s . r ents the Pas ion An example , which is pe haps the finest of the s r m a e ies , y be seen in pl . xliii . After this comes a long break , the only m r r f. 2 1 1 0 . 2 borde e aining between f. 7 and f 47 being the later one ( 3 ,

. . r r r r pl liv ) in which is the po t ait of Cha les V . The next se ies , which

. 2 1 s r begins on f 5 , closely re embles in t eatment that dealing with the

a r Passion . I n it r e introduced finely executed figu es of Biblical and other

r r D uci ss a he oines and female saints . Those that survive are Debo ah , e t ro heti ss a r Asu eri x ae am u tavi t p p Esthe , regis u or Judith , qu p “ “ c H ol ofernis v e t r0 he ti ss a Theodori na or aput Anna, idua p p (

Th eodel i nd r u m m ona cal em ) , "ueen of the Lomba ds ; St . Pelagia, q su m sit h abi tu m m v p and St . Elizabeth of Hungary. The special oti e for the not wholly complimentary selection of St . Pelagia is hard to c r onjectu e .

- . m r The Office of the Dead , which has only one full page iniatu e (pl .

is decorated in compensation with no less than for ty - one borders

m r the nu be no doubt having o riginally been larger still . The small m iniatures in some of them hav e no apparent relation to the subject

for v matter of the text , including, example , a stag, a lion de ouring a pig, a r r the r r dog catching a ha e, an amo ino playing violin , and a p etty centau

r r - r - r r r like c eatu e , half amo ino , half dee . Many on the cont a y exhibit a r or r r mo ini contemplating spo ting with human skulls , or st uggling with s r oe e pents , together with various emblems of mortality ; while a ph nix x xvi IN TROD UCTION

2 1 6 r for for (f. 7 ) se ves both the device of Bona of Savoy and a type of

- rr . r the Resu ection I n pl . xliv . the g ound of the side panels is blue , with cr imson within the angles fo rmed by the c ross - bones the dragon like creatu res a re green and gold the la rger sq uare jewels are rubies

r r the and the smalle ones emeralds . The g ound at top is crimson , the

r r r . r po tion ound the skull being g een The e mines below, enclosed within a fence , no doubt bear some special significance as a device , and

r r r v r - a e they not only appea in othe bo ders , but in se e al of the full p g m r r a nd s iniatu es , notably in the fi st of all in the Penitential Psalm

r x l v . v r se ies . I n pl . . the panel on the left has e tical bands of blue and

r r r c imson , with g een between in the enclosed spaces that on the ight

r r is in c imson and g een , with blue between . The panel at the top is

r . s blue the eagle , as well as the cockat ice below , is of gold For softnes

r x . r v r and g ace none of the pages e cel that in pl . xlix The oute e tical

r m r bands are of c i son , the inner of g een , while the spaces within the

r ox - r ho ns of the skulls , between the winged g otesques , and round the

a re r . r shells at the bottom of da k blue The shells , g otesques and

r a re r are se pents of dull gold , as well as the d agons at the top , which

r m r n r on a c i son g ound . The sleepi g lion is of golden b own ; out of

ear r r r . his c eeps a weasel , while anothe is climbing ove his back

r r r to P obably this also fo ms a device , but the e is no evidence to show

m m r m v r who it belongs . I n pl . li . the illu inato has taken his oti e mo e

r r r Ps . . di ectly f om the text than usual , illust ating xii , Blessed is he ” r r r r that conside eth the poo . The g ound of the miniatu e is of blue

r r r the jewel upon it is a uby , set in gold and sur ounded with pea ls and ’ r re d his eme alds . The young man s doublet is of gold shaded with ,

- v r the under slee es light blue slashed with white , his cap bright sca let

m - r r r r r d . r . begga wea s a ga ent of light b ick e The single figu e of pl lii . stands out well against a background of cr imson with golden stars h e r

r r r v v d ess is of golden b own , elie ed with white along the slee es . This

‘ r r page and still mo e that in pl . liii . st ongly recall the hand which executed

r - r the se ies of angel musicians in the ea lier part of the M S . The

r . r . on th ee angels in pl liii . illust ate the Cantate of the text The e I N TR OD U TI OIV x x v C . ii

o n - r either side is in pale yellow , with under sleeves of gold the thi d

i s . in light blue The wings of all three , and of the angel at the top of

v r m h are n the page , are of gold the olume f o which t ey readi g is bound i n r m c i son . The ground of the miniature , as well as of that at the top f o . r w the page , is of blue The angel playing the violin is obed in hite,

red with sleeves of and gold . To name with any app roach to certainty the artists by whom these e u r r r ou r r xq isite miniatu es and borde s we e painted is , in p esent state o f m r knowledge , i possible ; and it is pa tly in the hope of obtaining m or e light on this interesting question by facilitating compar ison with other examples in I taly and elsewher e that the p r esent selection of

r f r r r plates has been issued . Mate ials o satisfacto y compa ison near at

are r r r hand unfo tunately a e , the Milanese school of illumination not

r r being so well ep esented in England as its Florentine rival . The

r v r r r B itish Museum , howe e , is fo tunate enough to possess two othe

r r contempo a y specimens of the highest impo r tance . One of these is 1 r r r S forz ia da o r the bo der, al eady mentioned (p . in the p inted ,

r r - r r Life of F ancesco Sfo za Visconti , fou th Duke of Milan , t anslated into I talian fr om the Latin of Giovanni Sim onetta by C h ri stOph or o

h as 1 0 . r r Landino , and published at Milan in 49 This bo de been

r r r . photog aphed on a educed scale in pl . lxi , the details being epeated

r — r in thei actual size in plates lxii . lxv . but it is only when the o iginal is e xamined side by side with the actual bo rder s in the M S . that

r r r r the full fo ce of the esemblance can be ealized , emb acing, as it d r arr oes , not only the designs , but the peculia tones and angement of

r r . . the colou s . The nar ow panel on the left especially (pl lxiv ) might

av r . r h e been transfe red almost bodily from the M S The g ound , like

m r r r so any the e , is fo med of two ve tical bands of green and blue , with

r c imson within the enclosed spaces, and the same delicate tints of blue ,

1 II i stor i a del l e cose f acte dal l o i nui cti ssi mo duca F r ances co Sfor za scr ipta i n La ti no da Gi ova nni Si monetta et tr adocta i n l i ngua F i or enti na da C l zr i stoplzor o L andi no Fi or enti no “ co o on uesta Sfortiada l a m ressa Anton o Z arotto P arm esano i n with th e l ph , " i p i n ann del Si nore MC C C LX X X X Milano elli i g C . x xviii IN TROD UCTION

r r r r r o n g een and g ey elieve the gold of the design . The b oade panel

l xv . r the right (pl . ) has an oute band of blue and an inner one of

m ar e o f r r r . c i son , the enclosed spaces being a da k g een The dragons

r r blue, toning to light g een unde neath and stippled with gold , while

r r m r m on th s m th e the human figu es issuing f o thei , after the anner of “ ” - r m are well known biscia of the Visconti a s , of red heightened with

r r gold . The body of the v ase is of gold the designs unning ound it a re r r m - ue on g ounds of blue and c i son , and the leaf moulding is light bl

r are and g een . The faces and breasts of the two sphinxes in flesh

r tints , thei bodies , limbs and wings of shaded gold . The golden

v r o f winged angel abo e the medallion is clad in light blue , with a colla red r - v and gold and golden bands across the chest ; her unde slee es ,

r a re m together with the tunic of the amo ino below, in the sa e pale ’ canary - yellow shaded with re d which is so common in Bona s Book of

r . x r r Hou s In the panel at the top of the page (pl . l ii . ) the darke g ound

r r r r r is of c imson , the lighte of g een the flowe s are light blue and g ey . ’ r v v il r The Moo s head , an ob ious allusion to Ludo ico Mo o , is on a blue

r r r g ound , the d ape y about his shoulders being a light yellow . The

r v r . x r r t spo ti e amo ini in pl l iii . fo m a delightful g oup , those on the lef ’ “ being engaged in the Italian equivalent of the child s game of H ot ” r h ow m r s Cockles , and those on the ight in that of Buck, buck , any ho n do I hold up The swar d on which they stand is dark gr een relieved

r r with gold , the backg ound a deep blue studded with golden sta s ;

are r and their wings of c r imson heightened with gold . I n the cent e ’ 18 v r r r or ur en t Ludo ico Sfo za s shield of a ms , esplendent with and g , a zu r e u l es r r and g , with the lilies of F ance on an escutcheon of p etence .

r r r I t has the same qua te ings as in Add . M S . (see below), whe e , ’ v r r r d E ste On howe e , it is impaled with the a ms of Beat ice , his wife . ” r v or the impaled side he e will be obser ed the spazzola , brush, with ” r e t m r r the motto Me ito te po e . This is int oduced also in the side ’ 1 v d panels , and is found on some of Ludo ico s coins ; but , as it was use

1 Gnecchi L e M onete di i and x M l a no xx . v1 6 . v. 8 , , pp. l , 9, pl

“ x x x N N I TROD UCTIO .

r r n r Sforz i ada i s r r down in the bo de , as well as in a othe , which p ese ved e in the Biblioth que Nationale . The Par is S forziada he re mentioned is a companion v ol ume to that

1 0 a n d r in the Museum , being the same Milan edition of 49 , simila ly 1 r m i s v . r r r r p inted on ellu The co esponding bo de , however, somewhat ’ d f r r r r r r r t if e ently t eated , and , whe eas F ancesco Sfo za s po t ai is almost a ’ r v v r m eplica , instead of Ludo ico s it gi es us the efined and elancholy

r featu es of the young Duke Gian Galeazzo . At the foot of the page

r uncle and nephew appear together in an allego r ical design . I n the fo e

r a re r m r s e a or m g ound they facing one anothe on the a gin of the , ore

r r r p obably pe haps , of Lake Maggio e each is kneeling on one knee and

“ r r r r r n r pointing upwa ds towa ds the po t ait of F ancesco , fou de of their

a re r P atre m e t atrem r v line , and below the insc iptions p pat iae ene ” re m u r r u tri u e teneor d r va r and Me ito q ; de it ille , tu conse , the latte

. r m a . n sentence of cou se being put into the outh of Gian Gale zzo Agai , on the water behind them r ides a v essel borne onwar d by a favou ring

r or b eeze Gian Galeazzo stands kneels amidship , with his hands e r r r r h xtended as if in p aye , while in the ste n sits a Moo , olding both

- oa r r r steering and sheets , and on the ho izon , as a kind of me man , ’

. v r v e . St Louis the bishop , Ludo ico s pat on , blesses the oyag Ludovico is flatter ed no less grossly in an elaborate dev ice which o ccupies the

r r - r lowe half of the panel on the r ight . He e a well g own and

r m rr r m or o r flou ishing ulbe y t ee (I tal . , ) , with white abbits playing about

r r r t o its oots , stands within a wattled enclosu e its t unk , the p of which ’ r m r n r is fashioned into a Moo s head , is e b aced by a sle de sapling

m z a re r r sy bolizing Gian Galea zo , and on either side sc olls bea ing the

r r r fil i legends , c uelly i onical when ead by the light of events , Gaude , , ” ”

r r t uu s e ro r e t u v v . p otecto sempe and Dum vivis , tutus let s i o I n

r r r r r m addition to the ducal a ms , the bo de contains seve al Sfo za e blems ,

1 I t i s u esc r e V an raet L i ur es I m r i més sur ai l i n 1 8 2 2 v. . and f lly d ib d by P , p , , , p 7 9 , ’ ~ d i ci . 2 1 6 a I a n i i x m D l a rde o . t . T er d Add n . . x ii . and for a acs e se e bo e , g , , p i , f i il , e , p , p h i s a t r ve um c o i n th e V at c an but the fi rst a e of th e text c no dou t h ad a hi d ll py i , p g , whi h b

b or er h as een cut out V an Praet . d , b ( , p IN TROD UCTION x x x ir

r r r - r such as the g eyhound and t ee, the b ush , the well known to ches and ” fi re - et r buckets , the dove with the motto Merito tempo e , and the three plants of sempe rvivum with the m otto Mit zait and fr om the . character of the decor ation generally the volume was obv iously a gift

r m v m to Gian Galeazzo , either f o Ludo ico himself or fro some one

r r r devoted to his inte ests . As might be expected , the bo de as a

r r whole cannot vie in ichness , beauty and taste with that in the G en ’ Sforz iada v v ville , which was Ludo ico s own copy. The style , howe er,

so r is nearly analogous with that in the companion borde that, if not

a x r r actually by the same rtist , it was probably e ecuted unde his di ect 1 inspiration .

S forziada r r But, besides the printed , the spoils of the Sfo za lib ary

e a ti onal e m at Pavia , now in the Biblioth que N , also include a volu e in

r manusc ipt which may claim the same title, although it deals with the

r r exploits, not of Francesco Sforza, but of his fathe Muzio Sfo za l 2 Atte ndo o . The wo r k itself was composed by Antonio Minuti of

1 8 1 1 r Piacenza in 45 , but the actual copy was written in 49 by Ba to l om m e o G amb a n ol o r r r S tan h a g of C emona to the orde of Ma chesino g ,

r f v . r or r . ducal sec eta y, evidently p esentation to Ludo ico This M S

r v is more f eely adorned than the two printed volumes , not only ha ing

1 rr r r r two of its pages (ff. , 5 ) su ounded with elabo ate bo de s , but a

6 r . thir d page (f. 4 ) enti ely giv en up to a pictor ial design O f the two

r r r r r bo de s , the fi st, though similar in style , anks conside ably below

r r r both those al eady noticed , its execution being coa se and the amor ini and other figures in particular being compar atively weak .

' m r r o f I n any features , indeed, it ecalls the less admi able specimens

r r . Milanese wo k in the Book of Hou s (above , p But , if this

r r bo der , as seems most likely, was ent usted to a pupil , the second

1 M . D e s e the earne and courteous D rector of th e ot e ue at ona e i s of li l , l d i Bibli h q N i l ,

O ni on t at on th e two ortrait- usts ar h am pi h ly p b e by t e s e h and. 2 i N at M I a 2 a nan mo et or os ss mo . . S. t . om end o est del m B bl , l 3 7 , C p i di g i g i gl i i i ’ n S orza etc I i s v 8 an d d Adda S ore . t escr ed V an Praet o . ci t . . ig f , d ib by , p , , p 3 , by ,

i ii . 2 0 t 8 i i atur i sts 1 8 8 . en or L om6. 1 8 l Ar . S . . 2 r i et o n . See a so a e D . Il , 5 , p 7 7 . l B dl y, f , 9, , p 3 x x x n IN TROD UCTION app roaches more nearly to the level of that in the Gren ville 1 Sfo rz i ada r - r , indications of a maste hand being again appa ent ; and ,

r v r r r r r mo eo e , among othe points of esemblance to the supe ior se ies ’

r r MS . of bo de s in Bona s , it shows the same deft adaptation of bunches of seed - pods and wheat - ears to deco rative pu rposes which

rv r r r is there obse able . There is a fu the eminiscence of the Gren

’ r r i n r r ville bo de a boy Moo s head at the top of the page , and simila ly also the central panel at the bottom displays the m any - quartered ’ v r r shield of Ludo ico s a ms , which is suppo ted in this case by only

r . v r r r four amo ini Howe e it may be with the page gene ally , neithe these am o rini n or a bust of Sforza Atte ndol o contained w ithin

r r v the initial lette appear to be by the hand of the G enville olume , agreeing mo re nearly in t reatm ent with the full - page miniature

r r r ur r opposite . This miniatu r e ep esents an equest ian fig e of Sfo za

Atte ndol o r r m r beneath a g and t iu phal a ch , and , although execution

r ar e r r r and colou ing not quite of the fi st o der, the design is t uly

r magnificent . The hand , however, is apparently distinct f om any of

m r those e ployed on the Book of Hou s . ’ M m r S . v I ncluding Bona s , we ha e thus four conte pora y volumes

r . v connected with the Sfo zas , two in MS and two printed on ellum ,

r v m r the deco ation of which , though e idently by o e than one hand

f r r x and of di fe ent deg ees of e cellence , presents essentially the same

r r m r characte istics of style and even bea s , so to speak , the i p int of the

r r r same studio . I n addition , the e is in the B itish Museum anothe note

r r r r . wo thy Milanese bo de , al eady alluded to (p which belongs

m r r v r to the sa e class . This bo de is not in a olume , but on a sepa ate 2 v r r r sheet of ellum , su rounding on th ee sides the uppe half of a docu

r r il ment which reco ds a g ant of lands by Ludovico Moro to his wife ,

1 i r r I t s en ave ve nsat s actor i n Mun z w ere a a . 2 2 h u t . so t t e g d , y i f ily, , p 47 ; h l , p 9, m n ature esc r e e ow i s r uc d i i d ib d b l rep od e . “ 2 M n n i Add. S. It i s i n th e an of us ertus remo e s s D au c i h d G p C . P li iv s ’ M di l anen si s duca c anc r an notar u c and ars Lu ovi co s s na h e o e o d e ture . T e , l h ll y p bli , b d ig r of th i n a M n z 2 u er o t on e or er s e r ve u t . pp p i b d g d by , p. 3 3 X x xl l I

d ed at 2 8 th 1 at Vigevano on January , 494, a few months before he

m . a re beca e actual Duke of Milan . I n the panel along the top 1 r emarkably good medallion portraits of Ludovico himself and Beatrice ’ d E s te r r i of , and in the cent al compa tment between them s a shield

r r r their arms , su rounded by a w eath of foliage , flowers and f uit, and

r e w suppo t d by two amorini ; while the side panels , the ground of hich

i n e the r is mostly blue , are filled w th re aissance d signs , in which b ush ,

- r m a re . ho se bit, and other Sforza emblems and ottoes conspicuous ’ 2 the w ork f x r With the large scale of , the general ef ect is e t emely fine ; but here also the peculiar distinction and charm that belong to the

v Gren ille border and many in the Book of H ours are lacking , and the technique betrays a less facile exponent of the same style . According . ’ 3 r d Adda to the Ma chese , who is followed by Mr . Bradley , the hand is

d f ziada r v r S or . i entical with that of the M S . at Pa is This, howe e , is on the very questionable assumption that in the latter volume a single

for artist was responsible the whole of the work ; and , although in some of the details o f the Vigevano document there are resemblances

or er r r a re r ' to one oth of the th ee pages above desc ibed , they ha dly

r conclusive as to actual identity of hand , being little mo e in fact than

r r the common p ope ty of the school . The further opinion of the same m r r r . autho ities , att ibuting the deco ation of both M S S to the fa ous

r m r r F r a n F anciscan iniatu ist and illuminato Anto io da Monza , is

' O for ood ' as r i t equally pen to doubt , g the wo k is in both cases , does not possess the master ly qualities of the signed miniatu r e of the Descent of the H oly Spirit preserved in the Alber tina Museum at Vienna .

1 I t may b e remarked that none of th e portraits of Ludovico h ere m entioned i n th e east ear out the stat m nt f i vi a i m x on was fa r S monds l b e e o G o o th t h s c o ple i i ( y , “ ” o Moro A e Me es ots i . H i riv th e nam I I D . e s sa to av de e e g f p , , p id h e d , n ot from hi s swart ness b ut rom his em em of a m u err tree mor o b ut the hi , f bl lb y ( ) ’ name on th e contrar ma ave su este th e em em as i n th e case of th e Moor s , y, y h gg d bl , head. 2 A on theto th e or er measures 2 1 nc es nc es and the s e an e s are l g p b d i h by i h , id p l 1 nc es n 4 i h lo g. 3 A 2 r clt tor m6 i i s . 2 L o . 1 8 8 . 2 ra D i ct i atur st . . . M S . d e o n , 5 , p 7 7 B l y, . f , iii , p 4 xx x iv IN TROD UCTION

1 ' r w i thinw hic h is This splendid composition, with the detached bo der it

’ ' h r MS of now laid down , is apparently all t at su vives of a . grand pro

‘ m ‘ fa r portions illu inated by the artist for Pope Alexander V I . So

r r has r r as can be judged f om a photog aph , it a nea e affinity , to the ’ mi niatureS ' in o r e 1 8 6 to . . 4 t , Bona s Book of H u s ( g nos and ) han

t i n ' Sforzi a da r m r n or tha the M S . ; but neithe iniatu e border is quite

r simila in style to any of those here discussed , either in the Book of

‘ r fer . a a en Hou s or elsewhere Dr. W g , it should be mentioned , dif s from ’ d Adda r but as to Add . MS . and , as it appears , for the wo se ; ,

' ? w ork of r when he expressed the belief that it is a Gi olamo da Milano ,

a r t he was p robably unacquainted with the very differ ent style of th t a tis ,

’ r r - m b him as displayed in the supe b cho al books at Siena, illu inated y

’ in conjunction with Liberale da Verona .

’ ' ’ The attempt to assign an ar tist s name to the G renville Sforz ia da e has not been more fortunate , though we find it spok n of with , no less “ ’ confidence as exhibiting a Splendid specimen of the talents of Giro

lamo dai Libri , of Verona , equally well known as a miniaturist and as ,

1 0 r r a painter in oils on a larger scale . In 49 , when this bo de was

m . executed , Girolamo was only sixteen years old but the argu ent that might therefore b e drawn from the entire absence from it of any sign of immature powers is weakened by the fact that a fine altar - piece at

‘ r xa m Malcesine , on Lake Ga da, was painted by him at e ctly the sa e 4 f r r . r a re v v r o ea ly age The e , howe er, no alid g ounds connecting him

x m r r with so typical an e a ple of Milanese wo k , and the idea p obably

' m to w h at originated in little or e than a guess . Subject will be said

r for r lower down , this work indeed , like the est , must the p esent remain

1 En raved Muntz der 2 0 A oto ra of ot to et er 1 and the or . . g by , p . 95 , b , p 9 ph g ph b h g h i aAnton i s i n th e Ar c/z. Stor L om6 1 um t at th e ord er s Fr o 8 8 . 6 I t i s ass e . . , 5 , p 7 9. d h b by i , m r M to t er but i t ca e from a d fferen t f h ume r oss rom anot e S. a e . i part o t e vol , o p ibly f h l g h

2 Tr easur es an see th e Ar el i . Stor Ar t u 2 . F r da M o . o S lement 1 8 . o G . f , pp , 5 7 , p 5 il ’ Lom6 m n . as w r a ove . 6 1 fi him w t da e o a er A a i ent es G . , b . p 7 , h e d dd d i i h . ‘ C 3 . S aw I l l umi ated me ts 8 n xxxv n r na n 1 o. . H h , O , 3 3 , 4 K u r 1 8 i . 6 8 1 . e 8 . w i . 2 ro e and C aval casell e 1 . gl , 7 , , p 9 C , 7 , p 494 X X X V

“ o s r the m r v an nymou , and the main esult of co pa ison is that , whoe er he r r s was , the maste who designed it was almost ce tainly employed al o by

s r s r the Duche s Bona on her Book of Hou s , while le s indubitable ma ks

f zi a as t o his handiwor k can be traced in the other two S for d . A the

e l w co e sam time , he was on y one of several to hose op ration Bona was

for the e h r indebted a M S . which for ext nt no less t an the supe lative e xcellence of its ar tistic embellishment is probably unique of its kind .

s Though it would be difficult to fix the pr ecise line of demarcation , i the division of labour is most widely manifest in th e borders, a nd it s questionable whether any of these are by the same hands as t he full ‘

i are r have . r . r w e page miniatu es I n the latte , as seen (p the e u r r ndoubtedly th ee distinct hands , and p obably the number might be

. r m e r r r . increased A fou th, for exa ple , app a s to be ep esented by nos — ‘ 2 . i 1 . n r 9 3 (above , p xii ) the se ies of the Passion , where not only are our ’ r r r n n Lo d s featu es of a somewhat diffe e t type , but, otably in the scene ” r r v t befo e Caiaphas and in the Ecce Homo , the e is a display of iolen action and coarse realism which seem out of harmony with I talian ar m e r u t r tistic senti nt and rathe s ggest that these minia u es, and possibly

r r t e r r s a re n othe s , were the wo k of one of h Ge man a tist who know to

i v at r u i l a i nl ha e studied Milan . Other wise the style th o ghout s p y

‘ e r r om r bu t Milanes , or, mo e p operly speaking , L ba d ; unhappily the ’ ’ v aluable r esear ches of the Marchese d Adda into the history of

r r r Milanese illumination we e cut sho t by death , and his ough and dis

for r r A rcni ui o S tor i co jointed notes this special pe iod , as p inted in the

L om6a r do r r v n , affo d no mo e tangible clue than the letter of Gio a ni

B ira o v r r h n Pietro g (p . iii . ) Of this a tist we know p actically not i g, and the most that can be said 15 that he was certainly entrusted by the

Duchess with the preparation of a costly ser vice - book of the same

r are n ot kind , the whole of the wo k in which we obliged , to conclude was to be by his own hand

r v v "uite ecently, howe er, important e idence on the subject has been

u r - e r personally communicated by Dr . M lle Walde , whos opinion de ives weight from his long devotion to the study of Lionardo da Vinci and his xx xvi

" n school . I the painter of the majority of the mini at ures he r ecognizes the best of the artists whose hands appear in a copy o f the G rammar of 1 r i h Donatus in the T vulziana Library at M ilan . T is M S . was mani

’ festl il M r y designed for Massimiliano Sforza, eldest son of Ludovico o o;

- r r r s o n r and contains full page po t aits of both fathe and , togethe with a

“ or h inthe number of alleg ical and other miniatures , in whic , as well as

e a s ‘ portrait just m ntioned , Massimiliano is depicted a boy of tender

1 2 s . 1 1 Or wa years As he was born at the end of 49 early in 49 , and ’ r m 1 r e a v sent into Ge many in Septe ber, 499 , befo his father s fin l o er

r o th ow, to be under the protection of the Emper r Maximilian , the

1 8 f m . th e volume most probably dates . from about 49 . J udging ro

Mi l l l er - for photographs obligingly lent by Dr . Walde comparison , there ca n be little doubt as to the identity of hand , though the examples in

B ook v of r m r the Hou s are ore ca efully finished . The resemblance is str ongest in a miniatur e in which Massimil ianO ' i s seated before his

u o n a re tutor intent on his st dies , while five of his young c mpanio s idly

r en engaged in various dive sions in the same room . Both in this sc e ’

n r r . . r and in a othe a dwa f is introduced, as in plates iii and ix f om Bona s

MS . r e ; and in a thi d , where the boy is standing between two femal

r r r o figu es typifying Vi tue and Vice , the backg ound c ntains rocks , trees

r r r m and buildings , with a ive in the middle distance , p ecisely si ilar in

t r treatment to those in the latter volume . But the chief point of in e est ’ D r u r - o in . M lle Walde s communication lies in his str ng belief that the

“ Donatus miniatu res are the work of Ambrogio Preda or de Predis

r l for, if such be really the case , this a tist, who has a ready been m entioned as the painter of the Ambrosiana por trait of Bianca Mar ia

: (p . must also have taken the leading part in decorating her ’ r H r m h mothe s Book of ours . Down to a ecent period he see s to ave been entirely unknown , and the credit of being the first to call 2 the r . r s attention to him belongs to Mo elli As egards Donatus, thi

1 d i d C o . . 6 s de di ci Manoscr tti el l a Tr i ee G . P orro C atal o a i C o uul zi an N 7 , g a ,

1 8 8 . 1 4, p 3 9. 2 I tal i an Mast r s i n i i er 1 8 8 1 e er man al l e es r L R c t . G G r t ans M. . , l . . h , 3 , p 4 3

X x x vi ii

' " a r i s f Sa b ut u r of sc ibed to him , it di ficult to y ; , altho gh the e is a lack 1 or r the t wo this class of w k in the Donatus, we are able to compa e portraits ther e with those of Ludovico il Moro and his father i n the

S forziada s border of the Grenville , and the re emblance, more especially in the treatment of the eyes and the strongly marked curve of the

i is s uch ' th at e r r nostr ls , it seems by no m ans improbable that this bo de

t e r and consequently o thers in h Book of Hours , if not in the othe two

S forziadas a re , by his hand.

r Passing f om the original portion of the M S . to its alien additions ,

r r r dating, be it emembered , about thi ty years later, the b oad distinctions between the I talian and Flem ish schools of miniature painting are at

r r m r once apparent . Apa t f o their lovely backg ounds , the Flemish examples are as . a rule simpler in motive and adhere more closely in their

whil e thei r subjects to established types , more devotional feeling and softer tones of colour give them an air of repose which is lacking in

r r r their mo e b illiant ivals . At the same time, contiguity has not been w f n " r ithout its ef ect , for I talian i uence , though not always so st ongly

r r r ve . r ma ked as in the Ent y into Je usalem (abo , p is he e and ther e observabl e both in a tendency to heighten the colou r ing and in

of e r some the d tails , and it is quite clear that the later a tists had the

v r U r ad antage of seeing the works of their predecesso s . nfo tunately the Flemish miniatures generally have proved mo re difficult to repr o

c r h m r du e with a satisfactory esult than the ot ers , and the attempt in o e

Si x r than one instance had to be abandoned ; the plates , howeve , — f r r r r . actually given (lv . lx . ) ai ly ep esent the whole se ies

I r r r V . I n the miniatu e of St . Ma k (pl . ) the saint has a obe of soft

W r fur hi s r lake , ith a b own tippet and cuffs ; cloak is g een , and his

1 or I n eac The only b order i s one in whic h there is no foliage or arabesque w k . h of the atera ane s i s a out on e o din a anner of th e Sforza arms and the ot er a l l p l y h , h l g b h ta "am n cresset w t r s n ac round covere w t trees and ui n s At th e to ll i g , i h i i g b kg d i h b ldi g , p i s a sma m e a on ust of Lu ov co muc i e the Grenv e exam e i t a cornu ll d lli b d i ( h l k ill pl ) , w h ’ c o a on eac si e of i t and at th e ottom are Lu ov co s arms et een th e torc es pi h d , b d i , b w h an d fi re- uc ets b k . x x x ix

’ ’ rm d i e . a l cove re w th cap ve ilion The t ble is of du l gold , and is a blu

r r he Of . cloth , which falls to the gound and se ves t purpose a carpet

r - a re a r v Both the seat and the w iting desk also of gold , the l tte ha ing a black sloping front ; in the foreground the pavement is dark gfey

' with inlaid green and r ed disks fu rther back it is in a chequer - pattern

r r a s s of bluish and eddish g ey . The b se and capitals of the column

l r the t- are of go d , as are also the enaissance designs overlying ligh blue

“ T he r r r v u r shafts . a cading is g een borde ed with gold , the a lting da k

’ l l as tl ? th e r to e th er w ith blue , and the walls pa e violet ; y , cu tains , g the

’ r r n a canopy over the chandelier, are red . In the entablatu e in f o t , on

X r r r R IMI da k lake ground , are the cryptic cha acte s NRVAS FMOA V ’

“ w ha ve onl hich , if intended to conceal the name of the artist, y 1 f r too ef ectually attained their object . Among other miniatu es which

v i seem to be by the same hand are the th r ee rep roduced in plates l .

— xii . the r r . 1 . . lviii , together with est of the se ies in nos 7 4 (p ) I n

r b r he r r the Visitation (pl . lvi . ) the Virgin is o ed enti ely in blue , fai

r . E v . hai being covered by a transparent white eil . St lizabeth has a

’ al e l ak e t red h gown of p shaded wi h blue , a long cloak , and a blue ood

v r m r r o e a white coif. I n the ountainous backg ound , inte sected by a r v r on n th e h r i e , with trees one bank and buildi gs on other, t e e are

r s v r featu e of exceptional beauty . I n pl . l ii . , the Ado ation of the Magi ,

r a n r - r m r the Vi gin is again in blue , with unde ga ent of lake appea ing

“

- n . r r he at the eck ; the curtain behind her is a da k olive g een , and t coverlet o f her couch pale lake slightly touched with gold . On her

' s tands ose h r a - r left J p , wea ing a d rk slate coloured obe and holding in

r he r r his hand a b ight red cap . The Magus kneeling on ight has a

e . S richly brocad d cloak of lake and gold lined with ermine , howing the

1 r a r rm r sleeves and colla of g een ga ent beneath , and his pu ple cap

r fu r H i s r r . s lined with b own is on the floo beside him featu es , it mu t

r be confessed , have all the look of a port ait , and by analogy he should r r m r . ep esent the person for whom the iniatu e was painted This ,

1 oss t e are a to et er m eani n ess as i t seems to ave een a as i on amon P ibly h y l g h gl , h b f h g m n atur sts at t s time to i n r u an i m e f e ters i n t e r or i i i hi t od ce a f c ful edl y o l t h i w k . x l I N TR OD UCTION

”

r a s i r . . howeve , is h rdly con istent w th the pa t assigned above (p xi ) to

’

MS . . Charles V . in the history of the , and it suggests the possibility

m l r that, instead of being inherited and co p eted by the E mpe or, the volume was presented to him in its actual state b y the individual who 1 i r r r i s here portrayed . The neg o Magus in the fo eg ound s still more splendidly clothed , having a tunic of white and gold , with a sleeveless

r r jacket of light bluish g een his hose are b ight red , his boots orange

r r T h red n , . e t tu b ow and his cap pu ple hird Magus has a , nic and a

r fu r - r blue cloak lined with g ey , and holds in his hand a fur lined pu ple

r are r v cap , while the two figu es on his right especti ely in grey and

are red r r dark red . The shafts of the columns of se pentine ma ble,

r r r . the bases , capitals , and entablature being all colou ed a da k g ey E xactly the same ruined building appears in the Ado ration of the

r . Angels (no . the columns , howeve , being on the other side This

fi n el - r v - miniature is a y colou ed and impressi e night scene , in which the

r Virgin and five angels , four kneeling and the othe standing behind ,

a re r v r ar w ado ing the infant Sa iou , while Joseph appe s in the door ay

- r r holding a candle , and a sixth angel , with orange colou ed drape y and

i r r v r . v . wings , hove s lightly o e head . I n pl l ii , the P esentation in the d r e . v . r re Temple, the Vi gin is cloth d as in pl l ii , Joseph in g ey with a

r v r —r cloak , and Simeon in gold b ocade o e a white under obe , his hood

m r r being of soft grey with white edging . The wo an in f ont has a d ess

r r r of pale bluish g een with long pendent sleeves , ove which is a t ailing

red r r gown , slightly touched with gold , having a yellow f inge ound the

short sleeves and skir t ; the upper stage of her head - dress is crim son

r r r . and the lowe stage blue , ove a netwo k of gold The columns are

red n of green and serpenti e , the bases of gold , the capitals of gold

r r r and light blue , the a chit ave of gold , and the f ieze of lake with gold

1 T us i n th e eaut u i n th e r t s Museum Add M . I sa e a oo . S h , b if l b ll B k ( B i i h , ’ c w as ven to I sa e a of asti e ar es s ran mot er Franc sco de Roias i n whi h gi b ll C l , Ch l g d h , by i i M an h n Add. . o 1 t e do or s de cte i n th same sc ene nd osture. S t er 497 , pi d e a p h ’ fi ne F em s MS. was executed for ar es s mot er the In anta oanna w e of the l i h , Ch l h , f J , if Arc u e hd k Philip . IN TROD UCTION x l i

r - sc oll work . On the right is a canopy of pale bluish green with gold

s tassels , and round the edge of it is another fanciful in cription ” OMRVN HS VIOF EVIAVN ” .

r r I n the beautiful miniatu e illustrating O I nteme ata (pl . lix . ) the

r i s l ow a Vi gin , who draped as usual in blue , sits on a balustrade of

r - r dark grey colour, over which is spread a rich Tu key pattern ca pet , extending under her feet . The curtain behind her is of white and gold r b ocade , and the high back of the seat is decorated with a r enaissance

r r r r design in gold on a crimson g ound , the outer bo de being of g ey

r and the arched top formed of bands of gold , lake , g een , crimson and

. o is blue The four angelic musicians (one of whom , it will be n ted , r s playing an o gan , while another blows the bellows) have robe of pale t s - int of lake and blue , with under sleeves of green , lake and orange

r and thei wings being of somewhat darker tints of blue red . The

r graceful design and soft and harmonious colou ing of this miniature , r i m togethe w th the fine background , make it one of the special ge s of

. f the M S There are indications in it of a dif erent hand , and they “ appear still more strongly in the equally beautiful Salve , Regina

. f r (no which ba fled the photographer . H ere the Vi gin is standing

r r on a bank of clouds , the feet of the infant Saviou esting on her left

r hand and w ist , while H is arms are round her neck she is clothed in a

r long white obe , most delicately patterned and stippled in gold , and

r r her bea s a ichly jewelled crown on head . Her face is of the broad

W r m flat type ith high forehead cha acteristic of the Fle ish school , and h er r r long fai hair floats over her shoulde s . Behind her stretches an

r s innumerable crowd of angelic cho isters . The e are all draped in blue, and the same colour pervades the whole of the backgr ound

or r except at the four c ne s , at each of which is a cherub , with rainbow

- tinted wings , amid clouds of orange red tipped with gold . as n But the finest, well as the least co ventional , of all the Flemish

the r r u miniatures is Ma tyrdom of St. And ew (pl . The fig re in front on the r ight wears a tunic of very pale gold and a l oos er up e r ’ p

r a r garment of light blue , with gold embroide y at the edge his hose e 3; x l N ii I TR OD UCTION.

b . black , his oots yellow, and his cap light grey, edged with gold The s the cabbard of his sword is grey, hilt crimson and gold , and in his

h 1m t r . o t n , t t n left hand he bears a golden scep re Behi d he igh is ‘ a ma

r ff Of ~ fur r clad in a long red obe with collar and cu s grey , and wea ing a

‘ th e l a nce turban of pale yellow shaded with red . The soldier with

v wears a black jacket with slee es slashed with white , short grey slashed

r breeches , and boots of the same colour ; his hat is red , with ost ich plumes of pale lake , orange and white . The executioner in the fore

- r ground has an orange brown je kin over a pale lake tunic , light slate

- r H is blue hose , and reddish b own boots . comrade wears a red tunic

r cut into st ips at the shoulders and waist, and showing sleeves beneath

r r r - of vivid g een ; his agged b eeches are slate colour, his boots black , i and his cap brown . The figure behind h m is in a blue robe , having a

r r r crimson collar with gold bo de ing, and over his left shoulder he car ies k a cloa of pale lake heightened with gold . I n the distance the green of the herbage and trees merges into exquisitely graduated shades of

r x blue , while in an opening of the sky on a gold g ound , e actly as in

v r s - se eral of the I talian miniatu es , appear a half length figure of our

r r r Lord . Altogethe , for fi mness of hand , d amatic power and fine

r colou ing, this page seems to stand by itself, and there is additional ev idence of its being by another artist in the fact that the writing on the other side is different fr om that on any of the other leaves con

r taining the Flemish miniatu es . Of the miniatu res in the Flemish ser ies of which no facsimile i s

r r few he e given , two have al eady been described , and a words may be

h r . t e . added about some of othe s No 5 , for example , which depicts the

a r f r r u N iling of Ch ist to the Cross , dif e s from all the est in occ pying only

- o r x r a two thirds f the page . Above it are th ee lines of te t w itten on

r w r sc oll , at either end of which is a naked putto , busied in rapping it ound hi s body . I n these putti , as well as in some conventional foliage on

u r r the surro nding g een backg ound, the Italian element is unmistakable, o while , at the same time , among the spectat rs in the scene below is a

- o r r decidedly Spanish looking figure mounted on a mule . Fr m the athe IN TROD UCTION xl iii

s s peculiar gold hatching on some of the drapery, and for other rea on , this page appears to have been painted by the same hand as the E ntry

f . into Jerusalem (no . and the Raising o Lazarus ( no I n the latter there is a fine church in the background , and a more than ordinarily marked distinction has been made in the costumes of the two

s - and sister , one being in cloth of gold with an elaborate head dress

r a the othe in a plain dull blue gown with a white apron and cap , like

- serving maid . The only other miniature that need be touched upon is

s that of David in Penitence (no . which may be a signed , though

as . . not without doubt , to the same artist that of St Mark The principal

figure is strangely contorted and unnatural , but in the rest of the

os comp ition there is abundant merit . David is kneeling under an arched portico , the vaulting of which is closely copied from the I talian

r miniatu e of St . Matthew (no . while the destroying angel , with three

r 1 r da ts , appears in the sky overhead ( Ch on . Facing the portico ,

r - with an inte vening garden plot, is a large open square , on the further side of which a king, no doubt meant for David himself, sits enthroned

v r in a balcony , re iewing a c owd of people who pass in single file before

. f him I n this scene, in which it is not di ficult to detect a covert

r r wa ning to the new emperor Charles V . not to indulge in ino dinate

r r p ide , the architectural featu es , both in the square itself and down a street leading out of it, are of singular interest , and if they could be recognized they might solve the question where these Flemish

l v s miniatures were executed , just as the inscription in pl . . , as uming it ’ n to have a mea ing, might reveal to us the artist s name .

. F W G . .

V I I I .

XV I I I .

X I X .

XX I I .

X X I I I .

XX IV .

XXV I .

XX VI I I .

- X X X .

X XX I I .

X XX I V .

X X XV I .

X ' X X V I I I .

X L I I .

X L IV .

X LV I .

X LV I I I .

LV I I I .

LX I I .

a fi gl i uo la di C ar l o Re t a n el regn N eapo l i zelqual e part i di i i darago naco n dc armata in nuendo di C ari : n 5 IfOl a ( 111 fno t a exci t o gl i huom im del ’ fauo ri zdza di uerf1 C o n fi gl l zfii n o n t o Impero che G i oui n peg m ol t i f dza i m: cadut a i n f6m