TUSCAN ILLUMINATOR
Decorated initial ‘S’, from an Atlantic Bible, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Tuscany, c. 1175–1200]

Dynamic late Geometric style initial from an Atlantic Bible

c. 65 mm × 45 mm (parchment), initial ‘S’ meticulously subdivided into patterned compartments rendered in rich reds and blues and featuring indented motifs, cross-hatching, and interlaced designs set against vibrant grounds of blue, purple, and green, infilled with dynamic vine scrolls, often entwined with acanthus flowers. Pigments well preserved, and parchment in good condition.

This initial exemplifies the refined elegance and structuralism of the later Geometric style, a hallmark of high-quality Tuscan manuscript production in the later twelfth century. Characterized by segmented shafts filled with patterned motifs—ranging from indented designs to hatching and interlace—the initial is set against vivid grounds of blue, purple, and green, with infills of vine scrolls and acanthus foliage.

The exceptional craftsmanship and consistent stylistic vocabulary strongly suggest an origin in a Tuscan scriptorium active in the final decades of the third quarter of the twelfth century. Similar ornamental and figural treatments appear in early Sienese manuscripts, notably in MS F.I.5.2 of the Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, further supporting this attribution. The text on the verso of a large sister fragment ‘V’ contains a legible passage assignable to Exodus 39:33 (Exodus opertorium de pellibus arietum rubricatis et alius...), confirming that this initial introduced Exodus 39. This evidence supports the conclusion that the series was originally part of an Atlantic Bible, a format known for its grand scale and elaborate illumination, produced for ecclesiastical use.

Provenance
(1) London, Phillips's, 3 December 1997 sale, lot 154.

(2) Robert McCarthy, London, MS BM 1147c.

Parent manuscript and sister leaves
Seven sister fragments ‘E’, ‘N’, ‘V’, ‘O’, ‘H’, ‘I’, ‘V’ also in McCarthy collection (see Freuler with Georgi Parpulov 2018).

LITERATURE
Gaudenz Freuler with Georgi Parpulov, The McCarthy Collection: Italian and Byzantine Miniatures London, 2018, no. 13; Related literature: Elisabeth G. Garrison, Studies in the History of Mediaeval Italian Painting, 2 vols., London, 1953–54; Daniela Klange Addabbo, Codici miniati della Biblioteca degli Intronati (Secoli XI–XIV), Florence, 1987, pp. 107–114.

We are grateful to Gaudenz Freuler for permission to quote from his catalogue for this entry, and we thank Senior Consultant Sandra Hindman and Peter Bovenmyer for their assistance in preparing this sale.

The Robert McCarthy Collection

This lot is located in Chicago.

TUSCAN ILLUMINATORDecorated initial ‘S’, from an Atlantic Bible, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Tuscany, c. 1175–1200]

TUSCAN ILLUMINATORDecorated initial ‘S’, from an Atlantic Bible, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Tuscany, c. 1175–1200]

TUSCAN ILLUMINATOR
Decorated initial ‘S’, from an Atlantic Bible, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Tuscany, c. 1175–1200]

TUSCAN ILLUMINATOR
Decorated initial ‘S’, from an Atlantic Bible, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Tuscany, c. 1175–1200]