Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Compilatio historiarum / Giovanni, da Udine
Switzerland, Basel, ca. 1476
MS M.158 fol. 39r

See more information »

Miniature, upper left: 1) Codrus of Athens: Death -- Codrus of Athens, crowned, with left hand on breast, stands behind crenellated castle wall flanked by two soldiers, each wearing helmet and armor, holding halberds. Below, older Codrus, with joined hands raised, is flanked and stabbed by two men with swords, before crenellated tower with arched portal at right. Miniature, lower left: 2) Maccabees: Battle against Antiochus V -- Eleazar, eyes closed, wearing armor and helmet, reclines before elephant, atop its back bearing tower, on which are two men, one wearing hat, lowering spear, and one raising object above head, and one helmeted soldier, aiming arrow in bow Miniature, upper right: 3) Christ: Crucifixion -- Christ, cross-nimbed, eyes partly open, head slightly inclined, wearing short loin cloth, is affixed with three nails to tau-cross with titulus INRI. At left, Stephaton pierces His side with spear, beside Virgin Mary, nimbed, with joined hands raised. At right, Evangelist John, nimbed with joined hands raised, beside another man, wearing hat, raising right hand to indicate blank scroll. Miniature, lower right: 4) David: despised by Michal -- Atop tower with locked arched door, Michal, crowned, appears as half-figure, leaning over parapet gesturing toward, David, crowned, playing harp, standing at left. To right of the tower is man, possibly older David, crowned, raising hands to indicate David as musician. Miniatures for Bernhart Richel’s Spiegel der Menschlichen Behältnis (Basel: 1476) with biblical quotes, commentary and abbreviated extracts, written in German, for Chapters 24 (Codrus of Athens: Death and Maccabees: Battle against Antiochus V) and 25 of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis.