Agony in the Garden
Large historiated initial I on a leaf from an illuminated Missal or Gradual, in Latin on vellum. Italy, Tuscany (Florence?), c. 1275.
This captivatingly initial ‘I’ introducing the responsory for the 1st nocturn of the Matins of Palm Sunday (In die qua invocavi te domine). In the lower part of the composition, eleven apostles are depicted fast asleep, while Jesus is shown praying, surrounded by greenery and embraced by an angel. The number of apostles depicted here contradicts the biblical account, where only three disciples are said to have accompanied Christ to the Mount of Olives to stand by him in his darkest hour. The fact that all disciples, with the exception of Judas, are depicted asleep in the garden while Christ is praying is highly unusual. In doing so, this miniature emphasises the overwhelming sense of loneliness and abandonment that Christ must have felt at this moment.
The olive grove is characterised by abstract trees and a territory in different shades of red, mottled with grey lines to evoke a rocky landscape. The complexions of the sleeping apostles are created by using the same green hues; swift, curved brushstrokes run from the closed eyes to the chins, making the faces look like chiselled masks. The figures are distinguished by their hair colour: reddish brown or white-grey. The gilded halos are embellished with subtle patterns.
At the lower left, a monk fulfilling the same role now as he did for medieval audiences, guides us into the tableau: dressed in pale pink he gestures to the scene with one hand like a narrator while blessing with the other. This unusual scene captures this poignant moment with great artistic ability.
