Saints Peter and Paul in a historiated initial Q, cutting from an Antiphonary leaf.
Italy, Lucca, c. 1410-20
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Musical notation in brown ink on four lines stave.
Depicted within an elegant initial Q, are Saints Peter and Paul, recognisable by their attributes, the key for Saint Peter and the sword for Saint Paul. The two figures are executed on a royal blue background which strikingly contrasts with the warm burnished gold of their halos and surroundings. Clothed in long cloaks with a velvety sheen, their dress is both simple and luxurious. The faces and expressions of the two saints are carefully modelled with attention to detail, evident in Saint Peter’s wizened face while Saint Paul looks upon him almost as if searching for assurance. The miniature itself is surrounded by lush acanthus leaves in striking colours mirroring the palette used within the initial.
The miniature shows the artistic influence of Niccolò di Giacomo and Martino di Bartolomeo, confirming that the illuminator of the initial was active in Lucca. Niccolò was the first artist, who illuminated a Choir book for the Carthusians in Lucca in the late 14th century, commissioned by the Bishop of Lucchese, Niccolò di Lazzaro Giunigi. Martino was also responsible for a series of Choir books for the renowned Lucca Cathedral, also commissioned by Bishop Giunigi, ca. 1394-1400.
This miniature captures an exciting period of Itialian manuscript illumination, common in the area of Lucca and Pisa around 1405. The stylistic particularities were influenced by painters who had emigrated or returned from Iberia, such as the Portuguese Alvaro Pirez and Gherardo Starnina, but also by local painters such as the Master of Barga. Features unique to this style can be observed in the billowing draperies and the stern, almost carved-looking faces which elevate the gravitas of the two Saints depicted in these splendid surroundings.
This leaf is a sister leaf to our miniature depicting Saints Philipp and James. Read more about it here.
