Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Compilatio historiarum / Giovanni, da Udine
Switzerland, Basel, ca. 1476
MS M.158 fol. 42v

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Miniature, upper left: 1) Abraham: delivered from Fire of Chaldees -- Half-figure of Christ-Logos, cross-nimbed, wearing mantle, emerging in cloudy arc of Heaven, lowers hands to grasp raised hands of Abraham, nude, amid flames, surrounded by four men, two wearing hats, one with pounch tied to belt. Miniature, lower left: 2) Lot: Wife turned to Salt -- Angel descends to Lot, wearing hat, behind him walks his two daughters, all departing to left away from city of Sodom, on fire. Wife of Lot, veiled, with arms crossed at waist, as column, head surmounted by capital, beside arched city gater issuing flames. Miniature, upper right: 3) Christ: Resurrection -- Christ, cross-nimbed, body partially draped with mantle, raises left hand in blessing and holds with right hand, cross-staff with cross-inscribed banner; He is flanked by two angels, with joined hands raised. He steps with left foot out of sarcophagus, the lid to His right, toward one of two soldiers, one sleeping and the other holding halberd, partly reclining, both before the sarcophagus. Miniature, lower right: 4) Samson: carrying Gates of Gaza -- Samson, wearing knotted sash around head, carries Gates of Gaza on his right shoulder and under his left arm, walking uphill toward city with two towers and arched doorway in distance. Miniatures are proofs for Bernhard Richel’s Spiegel Menschlicher Behältnis (Basel: 1476) with biblical quotes, commentary and abbreviated extracts, written in German, for Chapters 31 (Abraham: delivered from Fire of Chaldees and Lot: Wife turned to Salt) and 32 of the Speculum Humanae Salvationis.