Ms. noted breviary single leaf; written and illuminated in northern Italy, probably the Veneto, ca. 1420-1430.
One 6-line historiated initial D in burnished gold frame, with attached marginal vinescroll design with a human figure. The initial begins Psalm 59 for Matins and depicts a Benedictine monk, cowled and sitting in a rocky landscape with distant forest, all beneath a star-studded sky. This nocturnal scene calls to mind the nighttime office at which this Psalm was recited. Also, the monks' attitude of dejection and the barren landscape recall the Psalm's opening words: "God, you have pushed us away and wreaked havoc on us ... You have shaken the earth and thrown it into disorder." 3-line calligraphic initial in colors; 1-line versal initials alternate in red and blue with penwork flourishes; 4-line stave in red with black neumes; rubricated. Foliated CII at upper center of recto, and 102 in red paint at lower right margin.
Previously attributed to the Austrian Tyrol, see Harrsen, 1958, no. 53; now assigned to Northern Italy, probably the Veneto, see Getty Museum Journal, v. 15 (1987) p. 174, as reflecting the impact of Austrian illumination on an Italian artist.
Musical notation: Three 4-line staves in red ink with black neumes on recto.
Other leaves from the same noted Breviary are found in the following collections: Pierport Morgan Library: 1 leaf, M.885; J.Paul Getty Museum: 5 leaves, MS 24.86.ML.674; Free library of Philadelphia, John Frederick Lewis Collection: 3 leaves, M64.8-10.