Leaf from an Antiphonary: Coronation of the Virgin

1400s

attributed to Master of the Beffi Triptych

(Italian, active 1390–1425)

Culture

Italy, Tuscany

Medium

Ink, tempera, and gold on vellum

Measurements

Sheet: 55 x 37 cm (21 5/8 x 14 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1953.24

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Gold leaf was always applied to a manuscript before the paint.

Description

The unidentified illuminator of this leaf is named after his work on a painted triptych that once hung behind the altar of the Church of Santa Maria del Ponte in the small village of Beffi in Abruzzo. Works by this illuminator are distinctive for their lively detail, highly expressive figures, and brilliant colors. In addition to panel paintings, this unknown artist also illuminated books and painted frescoes. The large scale of this miniature indicates that the leaf served as a frontispiece to a volume in a set of antiphonaries.