Artwork Page for Fol. 457v, Timothy II, historiated initial P, Paul talking to the bust of God above

Details / Information for Fol. 457v, Timothy II, historiated initial P, Paul talking to the bust of God above

Fol. 457v, Timothy II, historiated initial P, Paul talking to the bust of God above

c. 1275–1300

Southern France, Toulouse(?), 13th century

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Medium
ink, tempera and gold on vellum
Measurements
Overall: 35.6 x 24.2 cm (14 x 9 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 2008.2.457.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Biblical manuscripts were highly prized and important possessions of churches, monasteries, cathedral schools, and universities throughout medieval Europe. The biblical texts were known as the vulgate, the translations made by Saint Jerome in the fourth century from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, which became the definitive and official Latin version of the Roman Church. In the 13th century, the bible was, for the first time, produced as a single volume with an officially sanctioned sequence to its books and chapters as illustrated by this example. The very extensive decoration of this bible is arranged hierarchically to indicate the relative importance of the various texts so that full or almost full-page initials mark the openings of the first prologue, Genesis, and the first Gospel; historiated initials mark the beginning of each book and illuminated initials mark the Prologues.
A vertically oriented vellum book page features Latin script in two columns and a large decorative initial "P" on a gold background. Inside, Paul, a man with light skin wearing red, holds a sword and looks toward God appearing from a cloud. An ornate blue and red flourish extends from the initial down the left margin. Delicate red and blue calligraphy serves as a header above the dense black and red text.

Fol. 457v, Timothy II, historiated initial P, Paul talking to the bust of God above

c. 1275–1300

Southern France, Toulouse(?), 13th century

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