The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
Initial "B" (eatus Vir) from a Choir Psalter
c. 1430–1450
(Italian)
Leaf: 19.7 x 19.1 cm (7 3/4 x 7 1/2 in.)
Location: not on view
Description
This initial B, introducing the first psalm, Beatus vir, represents King David who is shown here playing a psaltery, a stringed instrument consisting of a shallow box that is plucked, instead of his more traditional harp. The psaltery was widely popular in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries. The illuminator of this striking initial is named after his earliest dated work, an illuminated volume of Suetonius’s Vitae Imperatorum (Lives of the Emperors), which he decorated in 1431 for Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan (1412–47). He is noteworthy for his distinctive use of line and color.- Bequest of Dr. Paul J. Vignos; The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Italian Choral Books of the Renaissance (Manuscript Rotation) - Gallery 115. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 10, 2015-December 12, 2016).Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 115): December 7, 2015 -
- {{cite web|title=Initial "B" (eatus Vir) from a Choir Psalter|url=false|author=Master of the 'Vitae Imperatorum'|year=c. 1430–1450|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2011.50