The low-resolution images published on this Website are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY-NC-ND). For more details: Fitzwilliam Terms of Use
This licence does not include any images of works that are still in copyright. Artistic copyright extends from the life of the artist to 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the artist died.
Download this imageFor further information on use of images or to license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who can discuss terms and fees.
Historiated initial from a Gradual
Artist:
Gherarducci, Don Silvestro dei
Artist:
Canzoni, Maestro delle
Artist:
Rosselli, Niccolo
Artist:
Cenni, Cenni di Francesco di Ser
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, 170 x 165 mm, initial 150 x 145 mm, mounted on cardboard.
CONTENTS: The initial D, pasted on cardboard, would have opened the Introit to the Mass for the feast of St Clement (23 November), Dicit dominus sermones mei.
DECORATION: Historiated initial in graded blue, orange, pale yellow and liquid gold with acanthus extensions on a ground of gold leaf: [D] St Clement holding a book and blessing.
History note: The initial belonged to a set of three choir books made for the Camaldolese Monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Florence: Corale 2 (Gradual), fol. 159; excised during the Napoleonic campaigns, 1797-1809; thereafter: J.H. Fitzhenry; Sir Thomas Ralph Merton (1888-1969), acquired by 1950; purchased by the Museum in 1979.
Method of acquisition: Bought (1979)
14th Century, second half
Circa
1370
CE
-
Circa
1375
CE
Support composed of parchment
Accession number: MS 5-1979
Primary reference Number: 176559
Project ID: 3607
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Manuscripts and Printed Books
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Historiated initial from a Gradual" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/176559 Accessed: 2025-12-05 08:49:15
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/176559
|title=Historiated initial from a Gradual
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 08:49:15|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-176559
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/727/759/large_MS_5_1979_mas.jpg"
alt="Historiated initial from a Gradual"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Historiated initial from a Gradual</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...