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Manuscript Illumination with the Virgin and Child in an Initial S, from an Antiphonary

mid-15th century
Not on view
The Virgin Mary sits on a grassy terrain created within the oval formed by the bottom of the letter S. The evocation of an enclosed garden in images of the Virgin reflects a passage from the Song of Songs (4:12): "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse." The Child, draped in a diaphanous garment, playfully sucks his finger. The artist's interest in decorative patterns is revealed in his treatment of the Virgin's robes, the floral motifs in the upper part of the letter, and the decoration of the letter itself, apparently inspired by Arabic writing.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Manuscript Illumination with the Virgin and Child in an Initial S, from an Antiphonary
  • Artist: Master of the Franciscan Breviary (Italian, active Lombard, ca. 1440–60)
  • Date: mid-15th century
  • Geography: Made in Lombardy, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment
  • Dimensions: Overall: 6 15/16 x 6 1/4 in. (17.6 x 15.8 cm)
    Illumination: 5 3/8 x 5 in. (13.6 x 12.7 cm)
    Stave Ht.: 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm)
    between stave ht.: 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm)
    Mat: 19 3/16 x 14 3/16 in. (48.7 x 36.1 cm)
  • Classification: Manuscripts and Illuminations
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.56.2
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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