Christ blessing in the midst of four Apostles, lambs and wolves in the lower register, cutting with a historiated initial E (Ecce) from an Antiphonary, illuminated by the First Master of the Gubbio Choirbooks.
Italy, Umbria, 1290-1295c.
On the reverse two staves in red ink with musical notation.
On a blue and muted old rose background, an elegantly curved initial E rests. The body of the letter is decorated with fine tracings and delicate white vines surround the letter. In the upper part of the initial E, Christ is rendered as a half-length figure standing between four adoring apostles who are turned toward him. The figures are dressed in rich garments whose numerous folds are highlighted with white penwork. Mirroring the curve of the initial, the nimbuses of Christ and his Apostles are adorned with a circle of dots. In the lower register of the initial a suspenseful scene unfolds. A small flock of sheep is caught between two fierce wolves, looking resigned with drooping heads. The palette of the composition is largely determined by the dark blue of the background. Shades of the same colour can also be found in the robes of the apostles directly next to the blessing Saviour, who is clothed in bright red drawing the eye of the viewer.
The beautiful initial can be safely attributed to the First Master of the Gubbio Choir Books, a leading figure in Umbrian manuscript illumination, who was active during the last two decades of the 13th century. This is confirmed by the analysis of the style as well as the identification of the Antiphonary from which initial stems. The sobriquet for our master refers to his principal role in the decoration of seven liturgical manuscripts, conserved in the State Archives of Gubbio, originating from the abbey of San Pietro in Gubbio. Our illuminator is responsible for the major part of illuminations in all the volumes, the only exception being a part of the Sanctoral Gradual O2, executed by the artist referred to as Second Master of the Gubbio Choir Books. The miniatures in these impressive manuscripts are an important testimony to the fact that the breath-taking wall paintings in the Upper Basilica of Assisi were incorporated into manuscript illumination.
With its strong lines and striking rendering of the two scenes in contrasting colours, the initial is a beautiful example of the work of the Master of the Gubbio Choirbooks.
