Something Beautiful

Illuminated calendar (part 2)

Here are the remaining pages for the illuminated calendar of a while back --

July, f. 8v -  Saint Paul addressing the Colossians; Leo; Saint Bartholomew and the prophet Micah

August, f. 9v -  Saint Paul addressing the Thessalonians; Virgo; Saint Matthew and the prophet Joel

September, f. 10v -  Saint Paul and Saint Timothy; Libra; Saint James the Less and the prophet Haggai

October, f. 11v -  Saint Paul and Saint Titus; Scorpio; Saint Simon and the prophet Ezekiel

November, f. 12v -  Saint Paul and Saint Philemon; Sagittarius; Saint Jude and the prophet Malachi

December, f. 13v -  Saint Paul addressing the Hebrews; Capricorn; Saint Mathias and the prophet Zechariah

Illuminated calendar

The National Library of France has brought back its popular web exhibit, The Age of Charles V. 

Portions of several excellent illuminated manuscripts are presented, among them the Breviary of Martin of Aragon, illuminated in 15th century Spain. 

Here are the illustrations that accompany the first six months of the liturgical calendar in that Breviary.  Each has three parts: St. Paul (as the Church personified); the relevant sign of the zodiac; and two figures, one from the Old Testament and one from the New. 

January, f. 2v -  Conversion of Saint Paul; Aquarius; Saint Peter and the prophet Jeremiah

February, f. 3v -  Saint Paul addressing the Romans; Pisces; Saint John the Evangelist and King David

March, f. 4v -  Saint Paul addressing the Corinthians; Aries; Saint James the Great and the prophet Isaiah

April, f. 5v -  Saint Paul addressing the Galatians; Taurus; Saint Andrew and the prophet Daniel

May, f. 6v -  Saint Paul addressing the Ephesians; Gemini; Saint Philip and the prophet Hosea

June, f. 7v -  Saint Paul addressing the Philippians; Cancer; Saint Thomas and the prophet Zephaniah

Gradual (illuminated)

Quite a lovely illuminated Gradual.

Near the bottom of this page are links to ten relatively plain folios, with a single illuminated initial on each. 

And then there are links to nine folios with fine miniatures and especially handsome illuminated borders. 

(You can also see nearly all the other folios of this manuscript by looking here.) 

Les Belles Heures (of the Duc de Berry)

Here is one leaf from the Belles Heures of the Duke of Berry -- Body of St Catherine, carried to Mt. Sinai.    (You can see a zoom version of this leaf by choosing the bottom-most thumbnail here.)

I hope to add more to this entry over the next few days.

Decorated Letters

The Getty Museum has a lovely page on decorated letters as they appear in illuminated manuscripts.   The page itself has seven examples.  To me, the first one and the last two are the most interesting and attractive.

Take a look at the very first one -- bet you'll agree. 

Cicero

It's wonderful how sometimes a page of mere handwriting can be beautiful in and of itself.  Some examples can be found in this manuscript of letters from Cicero (so I gather), made in Italy in the early 1400s.

I especially liked the right-hand side of ff. 155v-156.  Here I am using my usual standards of "has a (desirable) physical impact on me" and "makes me feel peaceful" in saying that I find it beautiful.

Hours of Infante Don Alfonso of Castile

The Morgan Library owns the Hours of Infante Don Alfonso of Castile, 1465-1480, illuminated in Spain.   Here is the opening page -- f. 1v.

Pentecost

Images of the Pentecost are among my favorites.   Here are 91 depictions of that event from the illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library, NYC.    (Single-page list)

Book of Hours (Flemish, 15th c.)

I love the borders of this Book of Hours, with all their flowers, birds, and other fauna --

February, ff. 2v-3r
December, ff. 12v-13r
Pentecost, ff. 22v-23r
Visitation, ff. 62v-63r
Flight into Egypt, ff. 108v-109r
St Francis; St Jerome, ff. 204v-205r

French Gradual

Here are eight handsome pages from a 16th-century Gradual.   They are extremely well done, imo. 

The pages --

i. Christ among the disciples, with illustionistic floral/vegetal border
xvii. Stoning of St. Stephen
xliiii v. Male saints
ci v. Confessors

ciii. Ecclesiastical procession (personal favorite)
clxxiiii v. Anne and Joachim at the Temple
cxxx v. Monk and Abbots
cxxxvi. Female saints