WORKSHOP OF THE MASTER OF PHILIPPA OF GUELDERS (active Paris c. 1500–1530)
Saint Maurice in a historiated initial ‘V’, cutting from a large Choir Book, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Lorraine or northern France (Paris), c. 1500].

An expressive cutting of the soldier saint Maurice by a painter known for celebrated royal commissions including the Gradual of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany.

96 × 111 mm. Single cutting with a historiated initial ‘V’, painted in blue and ornamented with white geometric patterns and penwork embellishments on a gold ground, initial encloses an image of a saint in full armor on horseback, bearing a banner emblazoned with a cross and riding through a landscape, verso shows remnants of four-line musical red staves. The cutting is generally well-preserved, with vibrant colors and glistening gold. Minor rubbing is evident on some high points, consistent with use in a Choir Book. The reverse is largely obscured by a pastedown from a previous frame mount.

This historiated initial of Saint Maurice comes from the Sanctorale of a large Choir Book and may have formed the incipit for the responsory Viri sancti gloriosum sanguinem fuderunt pro Domino Jesu Christo—a chant that opened the Office of Saint Maurice and his companions (September 22). Rubrics or marginal notes are not extant on the fragment. Saint Maurice, a Roman legion commander martyred for his faith, was a popular military patron saint, especially in France and Paris, where he was venerated as a model of Christian knighthood and steadfast loyalty under persecution. Here, he is appropriately shown as an armored knight holding the red and white banner of his legion, symbolizing his valor and martyrdom.

The Master of Philippa of Guelders (sometimes written Philippe)—to whom this cutting is attributed—was a prolific illuminator active in the Duchy of Lorraine and Paris at the turn of the sixteenth century. Identified and named by John Plummer after a Grande Vie de Jésus Christ created for Duchess Philippa of Guelders (Lyon, Bibliothèque Municipale, MS 5125), this artist completed numerous high-profile commissions for both ducal and royal patrons. His style shows the influence of Jean Colombe and the Master of Spencer 6, yet retains distinct hallmarks: densely packed compositions, short, stocky figure proportions, and facial features rendered with a single thin stroke for brows and lids, as well as combed hair accented with gold highlights. His palette is striking, marked by a liberal use of strong blues and golds, deep maroons, and greens. In addition to ducal projects in Lorraine, the Master of Philippa of Guelders contributed to major royal commissions in Paris and northern France at the turn of the century, including the famed Choir Book of Louis XII and Anne of Brittany (now dispersed). The present cutting’s refined figure style and vibrant palette closely parallel illuminations from that manuscript, firmly situating it within the corpus of this artist’s work.

Provenance
(1) Unidentified parent manuscript, likely a large-format Antiphonal or Gradual produced for a monastic or court chapel in Lorraine or northern France, c. 1500.

(2) Dr. Scott Schwartz, New York.

Sister leaves
Presently unidentified, but it is not impossible that the present cutting comes from the dismantled royal Choir Book; only a better examination of the text on the verso and a fuller comparison with the extant leaves and cuttings could confirm this hypothesis.

LITERATURE
Unpublished; related literature: John Plummer, The Last Flowering: French Painting in Manuscripts, 1420–1530. New York, 1982, pp. 69–71; François Avril and Nicole Reynaud. Les manuscrits à peintures en France, 1440–1520, Paris, 1993, pp. 278–281; Claudia Rabel, “La production enluminée à la cour de Lorraine sous René II et Antoine,” in Le mécénat de René II, duc de Lorraine, ed. Pierre Sesmat, Nancy, 1993, pp. 125–141.

We thank Senior Consultant Sandra Hindman and Peter Bovenmyer for their assistance in preparing this sale and Elliot Adam for consultation on this entry.

The Collection of Dr. Scott Schwartz

This lot is located in Chicago.

Christopher Brink

Associate Vice President, Head of Sale, Senior Specialist, Books & Manuscripts

[email protected]312.334.4217

Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

[email protected]267.414.1247

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

Sandra Hindman

Senior Consultant, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Illumination

[email protected]312 280 1212

Sandra Hindman, Senior Consultant, is a leading expert in Medieval and Renaissance manuscript illumination. Professor Emerita of Art History at Northwestern University, Professor Hindman is author, coauthor or editor of more than twelve books, as well as numerous articles on the history and reception of illuminated manuscripts and on medieval rings. She is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, the National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America, the Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, and the Syndicat National des Antiquaires,The Grolier Club and the Caston Club. In 2023, the French Republic named Sandra Hindman a Chevaliere de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters). She is the owner and CEO of Les Enluminures Paris Chicago and New York founded in 1991.

Western Manuscripts and Miniatures

WORKSHOP OF THE MASTER OF PHILIPPA OF GUELDERS (active Paris c. 1500–1530)
Saint Maurice in a historiated initial ‘V’, cutting from a large Choir Book, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Lorraine or northern France (Paris), c. 1500].

Western Manuscripts and Miniatures

WORKSHOP OF THE MASTER OF PHILIPPA OF GUELDERS (active Paris c. 1500–1530) Saint Maurice in a historiated initial ‘V’, cutting from a large Choir Book, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Lorraine or northern France (Paris), c. 1500].

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WORKSHOP OF THE MASTER OF PHILIPPA OF GUELDERS (active Paris c. 1500–1530)
Saint Maurice in a historiated initial ‘V’, cutting from a large Choir Book, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment [Lorraine or northern France (Paris), c. 1500].