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Detailed record for King's 19
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| Author |
Marcus Tullius Cicero; Pseudo-Cicero; Pseudo-Sallust |
| Title |
Orations and letters (ff. 1-147); Invectivum in Ciceronem (ff. 147v-149) |
| Origin |
Italy, N. E. (Padua?) |
| Date |
2nd or 3rd quarter of the 15th century |
| Language |
Latin |
| Script |
Humanistic |
| Scribe |
Perhaps written by Gaspar of Verona. |
| Decoration |
1 large white vine initial and a full white vine border, incorporating heraldry, in colours and gold (f. 1). 14 large white vine initials, in colours and gold (ff. 1, 30v, 37, 44v, 53v, 69v, 94, 102, 129v, 140v, 147v, 149, 154, 164v). 1 small initial in gold on a red and green ground (f. 175). Square capitals used as display script. |
| Dimensions in mm |
265 x 185 (190 x 105) |
| Official foliation |
ff. 177 (+ 3 paper and 2 parchment flyleaves at the beginning, and 3 medieval and 2 paper flyleaves at the end) |
| Collation |
i-xviii10 (ff. 1-180). |
| Form |
Parchment codex |
| Binding |
Post-1600. 'Consul' Smith binding of Venetian sprinkled calf; the covers with added gilt-stamped insignia of George III; marbled endpapers; gilt edges. |
| Provenance |
? Written by Gaspar of Verona (b. c.1400, d. 1473), professor of rhetoric and biographer of Pope Paul II (on whom see Eva Matthews Sanford, 'Gaspare Veronese, Humanist and teacher', Transactions of the American Philological Association, 84 (1953), 190-209): inscribed ‘Vale Gaspar’ (ff. 101v, 153v); cf. King's 18, 20, and 22; A. C. de la Mare also attributed Additional 16983, and Burney 292 to the same scribe; cf. John W. Bradley, A Dictionary of Miniaturists, Illuminators, Calligraphers and Copyists, 3 vols (London: Quaritch, 1887-1889), I, 248; II, 11-2.
A member of the Contarini family of Venice, with the family's (overpainted) arms: bendy of 7, or and azure, flanked by (overpainted) letters ‘A’ and ‘C’ (f. 1); cf. King's 22.
Joseph Smith (b. 1673/4?, d. 1770), book collector and patron of the arts: inscribed 'Smith' (2nd flyleaf); his binding; listed in his catalogue (see: Bibliotheca Smithiana seu catalogus librorum Josephi Smithii Angli per cognomina authorum dispositus (Venice: Pasquali, 1755), p. 114); sold to King George III, along with the bulk of Smith's library and art collection, in 1762.
King George III (b. 1738, d. 1820).
Given to the British Museum by King George IV in 1823 as part of the library of King George III. |
| Select bibliography |
George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), III: Description of the King’s Manuscripts and Indexes to both Collections, pp. 7-8.
Frances Vivian, Il Console Smith: mercante e collezionista, Saggi e studi di storia dell-arte, 14 (Vicenza: Neri Pozza, 1971), p. 92.
Andrew G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c. 700-1600 in The Department of Manuscripts: The British Library, 2 vols (London: British Library, 1979), I, 147.
Frances Vivian, The Consul Smith Collection: Masterpieces of Italian Drawing from the Royal Library, Windsor, Raphael to Canaletto (Munich: Hirmer, 1989), pp. 24, 43 n. 96. |
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f. 1
Illuminated initial and full border |
f. 1
Illuminated initial |
f. 1
Arms |
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f. 53v
Illuminated initial |
f. 53v
Illuminated initial |
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