Sundial of Ahaz, leaf from the Postilla Litteralis (Literal Commentary) of Nicholas of Lyra

Unknown

ca. 1360–1380 · Opaque watercolor, iron-gall ink and gold on vellum · The Cloisters

With its fan-like shapes that seem to flutter across the page, this leaf exemplifies the medieval diagrammatic tradition at its best. What feels like elements lifted from a 20th century-century watercolor are in fact abstract sundials used to illustrate a fine point of 14th-century biblical exegesis. The leaf comes from the landmark study of Nicholas of Lyra (1270-1349), Master of Theology of the University of Paris, which provided commentary on every book of the Bible. The story here, found in both Isaiah (38:1-8) and 2 Kings (20:1-11), recounts God’s willingness to turn the shadow of the sun back 10 degrees—approximately one hour--as a sign to the Judean King Hezekiah. The illustrations on this leaf present two different ways of charting the miraculous reversal of time.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1360–1380

Medium

Opaque watercolor, iron-gall ink and gold on vellum

Culture

French

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 2021