Four Saints in a Historiated Initial "P" from a Choirbook or Antiphonal

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Late medieval music manuscripts for celebrating the Christian Mass frequently included large historiated (or illustrated) initials, like this letter “P” that contains an image of four saints. It was a common practice to cut out these elaborate initials, particularly in the 19th century, to display individually or use to make a collage. Scholars today are actively trying to reconstruct these cut-up manuscripts; this cutting, for instance, comes from the same manuscript as four other illuminated letters now at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

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