The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of January 27, 2021

Initial T from a Choral Book with Isaac and Esau

c. 1460-1470

Bartolomeo da Gallarate

(Italian)

Italy, Lombardy, 15th century

Ink, tempera, and gold on parchment

Sheet: 18 x 16 cm (7 1/16 x 6 5/16 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1949.535

Location

not on view

Description

The subject of this initial recounts the biblical story of the "stolen" blessing of Esau. The dying Isaac, old and blind, is approached by his son Esau, who seeks his blessing. Esau discovers that his twin brother, Jacob, had already obtained the irrevocable blessing through deception.

Citations
Gertsman, Elina and Barbara H. Rosenwein. The Middle Ages in 50 Objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Mentioned: p. 196-199; Reproduced: p. 197
Exhibition history

CMA, 1963: "Gothic Art 1360-1440", 69

The Cleveland Museum of Art (10/10/2004 - 10/02/2005); "Illuminated Manuscripts"

Cleveland Museum of Art, (11/06/2010 - 04/17/2011); "The Glory Of the Painted Page: Manuscript Illuminations from the Permanent Collections"

Gothic Art 1360-1440. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 6-September 15, 1963).

The Decorated Letter and the Illuminator's Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 25-December 19, 1993).

Illuminated Manuscripts. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 10, 2004-October 2, 2005).

The Glory of the Painted Page: Manuscript Illuminations from the Permanent Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 6, 2010-April 17, 2011).

Source URL: https://cmaweb23-bbn-2.clevelandart.org/art/1949.535