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

Master of the Franciscan Breviary

mid-15th century · Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment · Medieval Art

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.

Artist

Master of the Franciscan Breviary

Date

mid-15th century

Medium

Tempera, ink, and gold on parchment

Culture

Italian

Department

Medieval Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1912