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Manuscript Illumination with the Birth of the Virgin in an Initial G, from a Gradual

ca. 1375
Not on view
Were it not for the halos, one might think that this scene, painted by a monk celebrated as a painter, illuminator, and successful administrator of Santa Maria degli Angeli, represents morning in a wealthy home in Florence. Surrounded by bright silks on the bed and walls of her chamber, Saint Anne gazes down as midwives bathe her child, the Virgin Mary. Servants enter and exit at the right, one partly hidden by the framing initial. Lilies, symbolic of the Virgin's purity, fill the border; one cuts through the initial below Saint Anne's hand.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Manuscript Illumination with the Birth of the Virgin in an Initial G, from a Gradual
  • Artist: Don Silvestro de' Gherarducci (Italian, Florence 1339–1399 Florence)
  • Date: ca. 1375
  • Geography: Made in Florence, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment
  • Dimensions: Overall: 11 1/2 x 11 3/4 in. (29.2 x 29.8 cm)
    Mat Size: 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6 cm)
  • Classification: Manuscripts and Illuminations
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
  • Object Number: 21.168
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

Cover Image for 2852. Initial G with the Birth of the Virgin

2852. Initial G with the Birth of the Virgin

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