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Premium Daguerre Val de Loire
100
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[Illuminated manuscript (fragment), c.
See original version (French)
100
-
[Illuminated manuscript (fragment), c.
See original version (French)
Estimate €400 - €500
Voluntary lot
Description
[Illuminated manuscript (fragment), c. 1500]. Initial from an antiphonary, Northern Italy, c. 1500–1510.
On vellum, ink, gold and pigments, 20.7 × 21.4 cm (overall); 14.5 × 18 cm (initial letter only). Some loss of gilding.
A remarkable illuminated initial from a large choir book on parchment. The letter ‘C’, rendered in shades of mauve and green and enhanced with white filigree decoration, displays an elegant array of plant motifs on a square background with a gilded border (some lacunae). The outline of the letter extends at the corners into dark green foliage veined in yellow, with the left-hand end blossoming into a blue corolla from which a wild strawberry springs; a profile mascaron is outlined along the left-hand edge. The central section, with a bright blue background dotted with white floral motifs, features an imposing kantharos with a fluted body rendered in shades of ochre, resting on a scarlet console in the shape of a cherub’s head; the flared lid of the kantharos holds a tall plant-motif calyx, resting on a mauve sphere, surmounted by a wreath of foliage and a red sphere. On either side, two putti are pulling red ribbons.
The style of this initial clearly evokes the work of workshops in Northern Italy and Tuscany, dating from the late 15th century to the first third of the 16th century. The treatment of the plant motifs and the gold highlights are reminiscent of certain compositions attributed to Eufrasia Burlamacchi, who was active in Lucca between the 1520s and 1540s. But it is above all the colour palette and the overall composition, characterised by a distinct preference for masks and kantharoi, that betray the influence of Francesco dai Libri (1450–1503) and his son Girolamo (1474–1555), who were active in Verona at the turn of the 16th century. Particular reference should be made to the folios held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. 62.122.17) and the Cleveland Museum of Art (1924.1016). It seems that the painter of our initial drew inspiration from such masters to create a more restrained composition, enhanced by a palette of subtle shades; one particularly appreciates the delicate modelling of the figures, the graphic contrast of the filigrees and the vibrancy of the colours.
On the reverse, a fragment of an ‘Alleluia’, written in black rotunda script with square neumes on a staff drawn in red ink.
See original version (French)
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About the sale
Books from the 15th to the 21st century, most of which are illustrated. Manuscripts. Painters’ autographs. Maps and plans. Architectural drawings. Normandy.
Auction location
Auction time
10/22/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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