The Trinity in an Initial B
Probably 1387
Medium
Tempera and gold on parchment
Dimensions
Cutting: 10 9/16 x 10 1/16 in. (26.8 x 25.5cm) Initial: 10 x 9 9/16 in. (25.4 x 24.3cm) Stave: 1 7/16 in. (3.6cm)
Classification
Manuscripts and Illuminations
Culture
Italian, Siena
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 1975.1.2476
Accession Number
1975.1.2476
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled within the elegant curves of a initial "B," this cutting from a Sienese choirbook captures the Holy Trinity, surrounded by adoring angels. Created around 1387 by the of the Codex Rossiano anonymous illuminator named for a richly decorated codex in the Vatican Library—this work exemplifies the refined Gothic style of late 14th Siena. Tempera paints and burnished gold on parchment create a heavenly glow, with delicate figures rendered in vibrant blues, reds, and whites against a starry backdrop, evoking divine splendor. Sienese illumination, influenced by masters like Duccio di Buoninse...