The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
Leaf from a Gradual: Decorated Initial (verso)
c. 1480
(Italian, 1501)
Sheet: 77 x 52 cm (30 5/16 x 20 1/2 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1927.425.1.b
Location: Not on view
Description
This leaf was excised from a volume of a large set of choral books known to have been commissioned by Bartolomeo delle Rovere for Ferrara Cathedral. Delle Rovere, nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, was the Bishop of Ferrara from 1474 to 1494 and his arms appear in the rondel at the bottom of the page-a shield bearing an oak tree (rovere in Italian) surmounted by a patriarchal cross, the symbol of his rank and authority. Payment records indicate that Argenta worked on the choir books for Ferrara Cathedral from 1478 to 1486. The initial M introduces the chant for the Introit (introduction) to the mass for the Feast of Saint Andrew, celebrated on November 30th. This date also marks the beginning of the Advent season (leading to Christmas) in the liturgical calendar.- Giovanni Pini, Florence
- The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned: cat. no. 210 archive.org
- {{cite web|title=Leaf from a Gradual: Decorated Initial (verso)|url=false|author=Jacopo Filippo d' Argenta|year=c. 1480|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.425.1.b