MINIATURIST, Italian
(active around 1491 in Venice)

Book of Hours

1491
Incunable (Inc. E. 25)
Biblioteca Trivulziana, Milan

This incunable was printed on parchment in Venice in 1491 by Johann of Speyer. It has six woodcut illustrations painted in watercolour, thirteen historiated initials with the letter 'D'.

The picture on folio 75v, shown here, represents the prophet David. The other woodcuts illustrate the Annunciation, the Immaculate Conception, the Office of the Dead, the Crucifixion and the Pentecost. The illustrations, inspired by popular tradition, have somewhat rigid human figures with static expressions, and the architectural settings are reduced to a few essentials.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.