Original leaf from a printed & hand-illuminated Book of Hours. 30 lines of Latin text printed in black on animal vellum. Initials & paraphs illuminated by hand in gold, blue and/or sepia. (212x128mm – 8 3/8 x 5’’)
Published by Simon Vostre in Paris, c. 1505.
This leaf depicts a dramatic hand-painted scene of the Holy Trinity. A haloed Christ and God-Father with three-tiered crown, share a single green mantle and are enthroned within a red mandorla decorated in gold ink displaying kneeling angels with their hands clasped in prayer. Christ and God-Father each have a hand on an tall gilt-edged book opened to face the viewer. The Holy Spirit in the form of a white radiant dove hovers between them. Christ supports a cross in his right hand. The title above the image reads: “De sanctissima trinitate” (The Holy Trinity).
The text beneath the miniature begins: “Sancta trinitas…” (Holy Trinity, the one God, have mercy upon us. We beseech you, we adore you, we praise you, we glorify you. Blessed Trinity is the name of the Lord, Now and forever). The two-line illuminated “O” begins: “Omnipotens…” (Almighty, ever-living God, who has permitted us Thy servants, in our profession of the true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of that majesty to adore the Unity, grant, that by steadfastness in this same faith, we may be ever guarded against all adversity: through Christ our Lord).
An attractive large leaf , showing some vestiges of previous mounting.
Shipped unmatted
