Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Egmont breviary
Netherlands, Utrecht, ca. 1440
MS M.87 fol. 382r

See more information »

Miniature, column, left: John Baptist: Beheading -- John Baptist, nimbed, blindfolded, with joined hands raised, kneeling in arched portal of crenellated building decorated with reliefs of two figures. To right, executioner, wearing soft hat, raises scimitar and Salome, stands, holding platter. At upper right, half figure of God, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing, emerging out of cloudy and rayed arc of heaven. Miniature at beginning of Chapter and Collect for Feast of beheading of John Baptist (08.29). Initial S enclosing half figure of man, with right hand raised, at beginning of Collect. Initial C enclosing head of man, wearing hat, at beginning First Lesson, "Cum sanctum evangelium legetur crudele spectaculum ante oculos nostros ..." Margins decorated on three sides with scrolling floreate and foliate decoration, inhabited by six figures, possible helmeted soldiers, emerging from foliate buds (right); and half figures of two men, gesturing, amid foliage (lower).