Artwork Page for Fol. 459r, Philemon, historiated initial P, Paul addressing three men and Hebrews, historiated initial M, Paul seated at a desk, writing

Details / Information for Fol. 459r, Philemon, historiated initial P, Paul addressing three men and Hebrews, historiated initial M, Paul seated at a desk, writing

Fol. 459r, Philemon, historiated initial P, Paul addressing three men and Hebrews, historiated initial M, Paul seated at a desk, writing

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 2008.2.459.a
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

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 vellum manuscript page features two columns of dense Latin calligraphy. In the left column, an ornate blue and gold initial 'P' frames Paul, a light-skinned man, preaching to three figures. Further down the right column, an initial 'M' depicts him writing at a desk. Intricate blue and gold borders extend vertically from the initials, while vibrant red and blue ink highlights headers and decorative flourishes throughout the calligraphic page.

Fol. 459r, Philemon, historiated initial P, Paul addressing three men and Hebrews, historiated initial M, Paul seated at a desk, writing

c. 1275–1300

Southern France, Toulouse(?), 13th century

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