Миниатюры

British Library, Royal 15 E IV, detail of f. 52 (Morbidus and the sea monster). Jean of Wavrin, Recueil des croniques d’Engleterre. France, N. E. (Lille?) and Netherlands, S. (Bruges), c.1470-1480.

“When King Morbidus heard the pitiful complaint that the people made of this beast, he trusted so much in his own courage and strength, that with great hardihood he went alone against the monster, for hardy he was beyond measure. However, I have often heard that he is a fool who confides in his own hardihood, for too great hardihood produces rashness, and rashness is not valour.

King Morbidus accordingly went eagerly and boldly against this sea-monster, for greatly he desired to see it, neither would he allow any of his people to bear him company. When he came near enough to the monster, he pierced it with many arrows, and threw several darts into its body, by which the beast was sorely wounded in many places. When king Morbidus had used all his darts and arrows, he drew his sword, and struck the cruel monster so hard a blow that the sword broke, and the king, who had gone so near, could not withdraw, ere the marvellous beast had opened his mouth and swallowed him… “

Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 574, detail of f. 28r (Arithmetic). Gossouin de Metz, Image du monde. 1320-1325.





Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 1023, detail of f.29r (Diligence and Negligence). Jacques Legrand, Le livre de bonnes mœurs. c1400-1410.





Manchester, Rylands Medieval Collection. Dante, La Commedia. Florence : Nicolaus Laurentii, Alamanus 1481. Engraving from design by Botticelli.

British Library, Additional 14761, detail of f. 26v (‘The first cup’). Haggadah, liturgical poems and biblical readings for Passover (The ‘Barcelona Haggadah’), Sephardic rite. Barcelona, c.1340.

” …miniature of a pig-like figure lifting the first cup of wine and a hare placing a stick upon a dog’s head.

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Cod.arab. 463, f. 30 (Sagittarius). Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā Ibn-Muhammad al-: Kitāb ʿAǧāʾib al-ma̮hlūqāt wa-ġarāʾib al-mauǧūdāt. Palestine?, 1750-1770.





Bibliothèque nationale de France, Français 857, detail of f. 98r (demon with a sinner in a headlock). Matfré Ermengau, Breviari d’amor et Lettre à sa soeur. 14th century.





Walters Art Museum, W.174, detail of f. 168v (Purgatory). Missal of Eberhard von Greiffenklau. 2nd quarter of the 15th century.





The Hague, KB, 76 F 5, detail of f. 41r (Theophilus with the Bishop of Adana). Picture Bible. St. Omer, Abbey of St. Bertin, Benedictines; c. 1190-1200 c. 1290-1300.





Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg, Cod.theol.et phil.fol.195, f. 27r. Jacobus de Theramo, Das Buch Belial. 1401.





Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 8201 d, image 51. Mettener Regel [the Rule of St Benedict as practised at the Abbey of Metten]. Metten, 1414.





Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, BSB Clm 8201 d, image 36. Mettener Regel [the Rule of St Benedict as practised at the Abbey of Metten]. Metten, 1414.