Leaf from a Book of Hours: Initial D

Description

Not all books of hours were decorated with conventional historiated initials or full-page miniatures containing figural scenes. The illuminator of this leaf incorporated a more subtle decorative scheme consisting of a large, flower-filled initial D for Deus that gives a focus to the page. A rectangular bar border with ivy leaf sprays punctuated with flowers in the corners flows from this initial. The layout is neat, yet elegant. The palette of orange-reds and pale blues is typically English.

Provenance

[Graton and Graton, Evanston, Ill.]

Leaf from a Book of Hours: Initial D

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c. 1400

Accession Number

2006.10

Medium

ink, tempera and gold on vellum

Dimensions

Each leaf: 15.2 x 11.4 cm (6 x 4 1/2 in.)

Classification

Manuscript

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

The Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection