The trial miniature executed by the artist prior to his work on the Siena Cathedral choir books in 1467. On the verso are fragments of plainchant notation and text. This luminous miniature painting is inspired by a passage in the Book of Revelation, part of the Christian Bible. Christ returns to earth in a sea of crystal-like glass and fire to judge the souls of humankind. Christ’s supernatural presence has been translated to the small dimensions of a hymn book used during the Eucharist, the sacrament that commemorates the Last Supper. This image of Christ would have incited a moment of multi-sensory devotion. Bathed in the brilliant glow of gold leaf and azure blue, Christ impels the visual piety of the beholder. Holding the hymn book, the worshipper sung words in solemn celebration of Christ’s life and death.

Notes:  Exhibited: 'The Painted Page: Italian Renaissance Manuscripts', Royal Academy of Art, London, UK, 28 October 1994 - 22 January 1995

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