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Detailed record for Yates Thompson 36


Author		Dante Alighieri
Title		Divina Commedia
Origin		Italy, N. (Tuscany, Siena?)
Date		between 1444 and c. 1450
Language		Italian
Script		Gothic
Artists		Inferno and Purgatorio (ff. 1-128), and all historiated initials illuminated by Priamo della Quercia between 1442 and 1450 (previously attributed to Lorenzo Vecchietta, see Pope-Hennessy 1947); Paradiso (ff. 129-190v) illuminated by Giovanni di Paolo c. 1450.
Decoration		110 large miniatures in the lower margin, in colours and gold (ff. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7v, 8v, 9, 10, 11, 12v, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21v, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30v, 32, 34, 35v, 37v, 39v, 42, 44, 46, 47v, 49, 51, 53, 55, 56v, 59, 61, 62v, 68, 76v, 84, 88, 93v, 98v, 100, 107, 113v, 116v, 119, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190). 3 large historiated initials, developing partial foliate borders, in colours and gold, at the beginning of the Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (ff. 1, 65, 129). Large decorated initials with foliate extensions into the margins, in colours and gold. Small initials in gold on pink, blue, and/or green grounds.
Dimensions in mm		365 x 258 (215 x 80)
Official foliation		ff. 190 (+ 3 unfoliated paper and 1 original flyleaves at the beginning, and 3 paper flyleaves at the end)
Collation		i-xix8 (ff. 1-152), xx6 (ff. 153-158), xxi-xxiv8 (ff. 159-190).
Form		Parchment codex
Binding		Post-1600. Tooled brown leather; gilt edges.
Provenance		Alfonso V, king of Aragon, Naples and Sicily (reigned 1416 to 1458): his arms (f. 1). Ferdinand (Fernando de Aragón), Duke of Calabria (b. 1488, d. 1550): his donation to the convent of San Miguel, Valencia in 1538. The monastery of San Miguel de los Reyes, Valencia, 1613: inscribed 'Ex commissione dominorum Inquisitorum Valentie vidi et expurgavi secundum expurgatorium novum Madriti 1612. et subscripsi die. 14. Septembris 1613. ego frater Antonius Oller' (f. 190v). Bought by Henry Yates Thompson from Señor Luis Mayans, Madrid, May 1901. Henry Yates Thompson (b. 1838, d. 1928), collector of illuminated manuscripts and newspaper proprietor: with his book-plate inscribed '[MS] CV / £blee.e.e [i.e. £1900.0.0] / [bought from] Harris / Madrid / May 29 / 1901' (inside upper cover). Bequeathed to the British Museum in 1941 by Mrs Yates Thompson.
Notes		Full digital coverage available for this manuscript: see Digitised Manuscripts at http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts. Pope-Hennessy 1993 proposed a date after 1444, partly based on the representations of the dome and cupola of Florence Cathedral, which was under construction at that time.
Select bibliography		Bernhard Berenson, The Central Italian Painters of the Renaissance, 2nd edn (New York : Putnam's Sons, 1909), p. 177. A Descriptive Catalogue of Fourteen Illuminated Manuscripts (Nos. XCV to CVII and 79A) Completing the Hundred in the Library of Henry Yates Thompson (Cambridge: University Press, 1912), no. CV, pp. 66-74. John Pope-Hennessy, A Sienese Codex of the Divine Comedy (London, 1947). T. de Marinis, La Biblioteca Napoletana Dei Re D'Aragona (Milan, 1947-52), I, p.41; II, pp. 62-63. Francis Wormald, 'The Yates Thompson Manuscripts', British Museum Quarterly, 16 (1952), 4-6 (p. 6). [D. H. Turner], Reproductions from Illuminated Manuscripts, Series 5 (London: British Museum, 1965), pl. 38. [Derek Howard Turner], Illuminated Manuscripts Exhibited in the Grenville Library (London, British Museum, 1967), p. 54. Peter Brieger, Millard Meiss and Charles S. Singleton, Illuminated Manuscripts of the Divine Comedy, 2 vols (Princeton: University Press, 1969), I, 269-76; II, figs. throughout. J. J. G. Alexander, Italian Renaissance Illuminations (London: Chatto & Windus, 1977), pp. 50, 52, pls. 6-7. Giulietta Chelazzi Dini, 'Lorenzo Vecchietta, Priamo della Quercia, Nicola da Siena: nuove osservazioni sulla Divina Commedia Yates Thompson 36', in Jacopo della Quercia fra Gotico e Rinascimento: Atti del convegno di studi, Siena, Facoltà di Lettre e Filosofia, 2-5 ottobre 1975, ed. by Giulietta Chelazzi (Florence: Centro di Firenze, 1977), pp. 203-28. Janet Backhouse, The Illuminated Manuscript (Oxford: Phaidon, 1979), pp. 65, 66, pl. 55. T.S. Pattie, Astrology as Illustrated in the Collections of the British Library and the British Museum (London: British Library, 1980), pl. 9. Jennifer O'Reilly, Studies in the Iconography of the Virtues and the Vices in the Middle Ages (New York: Garland, 1988, print of an unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Nottingham, 1972), pl. 37. John Pope-Hennessy, Paradiso: The Illuminations to Dante's Divine Comedy by Giovanni di Paolo (London: Thames and Hudson, 1993). Christopher de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, 2nd edn (London: Phaidon, 1994), pp. 154, 155, pl. 133. The Painted Page: Italian Renaissance Book Illumination 1450-1550, ed. by Jonathan J. G. Alexander (London: Prestel, 1994), p. 22. Peter Whitfield, The Mapping of the Heavens (London: British Library, 1995), pls on pp. 51, 52. Michael Camille, The Medieval Art of Love: Objects and Subjects of Desire (London: Laurence King, 1998), p. 44, pl. 33. The Apocalypse and the Shape of Things to Come, ed. by Frances Carey (London: British Museum, 1999), p. 92 no. 21 [exhibition catalogue]. Treasures of the British Library, ed. by Nicolas Barker and others (London: British Library, 2005), p. 244. Benjamin David, 'Sites of Confluence: The Master of the Yates Thompson Divine Comedy', in Tributes to Jonathan J.G. Alexander. The Making and Meaning of Illuminated Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, Art and Architecture, ed. by Susan L'Engle and Gerald B. Guest (London and Turnhout: Brepols, 2006), pp. 21-32. La Divina Commedia di Alfonso D'Aragona re di Napoli: Manoscritto Yates Thompson 36, ed. by Milvia Bollati, 2 vols (Modena: Franco Cosimo Panini, 2006), [Colour facsimile of the miniatures as volume 2]. Elizabeth Morrison, Beasts: Factual & Fantastic (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007), p. 57. Jennifer Sliwka, Visions of Paradise: Botticini's Palmieri Altarpiece (London: National Gallery Company, 2015) [exhibition catalogue]. Bette Talvacchia, 'Paradise emblazoned and embodied in Giovanni di Paolo's illumination of Dante's Commedia', in Medieval Charm: Illuminated Mauscripts for Royal, Aristocratic and Ecclesiastical Patronage, ed. By Florence Brazes-Moly and Francesca Marini (Pollestres: TDO Editions, 2016), pp. 160-89. Vincenzo Vitale, 'L'impero di Alfonso il Magnanimo nella Commedia Aragonese', in M. Ciccuto and L. Livragi (eds.), Dante visualizzato. Carte ridenti II (Florence: Cesati, 2019) pp. 91-118.

Images



Binding Upper binding	Binding Lower binding	f. 1 Dante and Virgil

f. 1 Dante and Virgil	f. 1 Arms	f. 1v Text page

f. 2 Dante	f. 2 Dante	f. 2v Illuminated initials

f. 3 Illuminated initials	f. 3v Illuminated initials	f. 4 Dante and Virgil

f. 4 Dante and Virgil	f. 5 Dante and Virgil	f. 5 Dante and Virgil

f. 5v Illuminated initials	f. 6 Dante and Charon	f. 6 Dante and Charon

f. 6v Illuminated initials	f. 7 Illuminated initials	f. 7 Illuminated initials

f. 7v Dante and Virgil	f. 7v Dante and Virgil	f. 8 Illuminated initials

f. 8v Judgement of Minos	f. 8v Judgement of Minos	f. 9 Carnal sinners

f. 9 Carnal sinners	f. 9v Illuminated initials	f. 10 Virgil, Dante, Paolo and Francesca

f. 10 Virgil, Dante, Paolo and Francesca	f. 10v Illuminated initials	f. 11 Virgil, Dante, and Cerberus

f. 11 Virgil, Dante, and Cerberus	f. 11v Illuminated initials	f. 12 Illuminated initials

f. 12v Dante and Virgil	f. 12v Dante and Virgil	f. 13 Illuminated initials

f. 13v Illuminated initials	f. 14 Dante and Virgil	f. 14 Dante and Virgil

f. 14v Illuminated initials	f. 15 Illuminated initials	f. 15v Illuminated initials

f. 16 Dante and Virgil	f. 16 Dante and Virgil	f. 16v Illuminated initials

f. 17 Illuminated initials	f. 17v Illuminated initials	f. 18 Dante and Virgil

f. 18 Dante and Virgil	f. 18v Illuminated initials	f. 19 Illuminated initials

f. 19v Illuminated initials	f. 20 Three circles of the violent	f. 20 Three circles of the violent

f. 20v Illuminated initials	f. 21 Illuminated initials	f. 21v Dante and Virgil

f. 21v Dante and Virgil	f. 22 Illuminated initials	f. 22v Illuminated initials

f. 23 The wood of the suicide	f. 23 The wood of the suicide	f. 23v Illuminated initials

f. 24 Illuminated initials	f. 24v Illuminated initials	f. 25 The violent against God

f. 25 The violent against God	f. 25v Illuminated initials	f. 26 Illuminated initials

f. 26v Illuminated initials	f. 27 Prophecy of Bunetti Latini	f. 27 Prophecy of Brunetto Latini

f. 27v Illuminated initials	f. 28 Illuminated initials	f. 28v Illuminated initials

f. 29 Dante and Virgil	f. 29 Dante and Virgil	f. 29v Illuminated initials

f. 30 Illuminated initials	f. 30v Virgil, Dante, and Geryon	f. 30v Virgil, Dante, and Geryon

f. 31 Illuminated initials	f. 31v Illuminated initials	f. 32 Seducers and Flatterers

f. 32 Seducers and Flatterers	f. 34 Torment of the Simoniacs	f. 34 Torment of the Simoniacs

f. 34v Illuminated initials	f. 35 Illuminated initials	f. 35v Punishment of the Diviners

f. 35v Punishment of the Diviners	f. 36 Illuminated initials	f. 36v Illuminated initials

f. 37 Illuminated initials	f. 37v Torments of the Barterers	f. 37v Torments of the Barterers

f. 38 Illuminated initials	f. 38v Illuminated initials	f. 39 Illuminated initials

f. 39v Torments of the Barterers	f. 39v Torments of the Barterers	f. 40 Illuminated initials

f. 40v Illuminated initials	f. 41 Illuminated initials	f. 41v Illuminated initials

f. 42 Hypocrites	f. 42 Hypocrites	f. 42v Illuminated initials

f. 43 Illuminated initials	f. 43v Illuminated initials	f. 44 Punishment of the Robbers

f. 44 Punishment of the Robbers	f. 44v Illuminated initials	f. 45 Illuminated initials

f. 45v Illuminated initials	f. 46 Dante and Virgil	f. 46 Dante and Virgil

f. 46v Illuminated initials	f. 47 Illuminated initials	f. 47v The Evil Counsellors

f. 47v The Evil Counsellors	f. 48 Illuminated initials	f. 48v Illuminated initials

f. 49 Guido di Montefeltro	f. 49 Guido di Montefeltro	f. 49v Illuminated initials

f. 50 Illuminated initials	f. 50v Illuminated initials	f. 51 Sowers of Discord

f. 51 Sowers of Discord	f. 51 Sowers of Discord	f. 51v Illuminated initials

f. 52 Illuminated initials	f. 52v Illuminated initials	f. 53 Coiners and Counterfeiters

f. 53 Coiners and Counterfeiters	f. 53v Illuminated initials	f. 54 Illuminated initials

f. 54v Illuminated initials	f. 55 Simon of Troy and Adamo of Brescia	f. 55 Simon of Troy and Adamo of Brescia

f. 55v Illuminated initials	f. 56 Illuminated initials	f. 56v The Three Giants

f. 56v The Three Giants	f. 57 Illuminated initials	f. 57v Illuminated initials

f. 58 Illuminated initials	f. 58v Illuminated initials	f. 59 Traitors to Kindred

f. 59 Traitors to Kindred	f. 59v Illuminated initials	f. 60 Illuminated initials

f. 60v Illuminated initials	f. 61 Death of Ugolino della Gheradesca	f. 61 Death of Ugolino della Gheradesca

f. 61v Illuminated initials	f. 62 Illuminated initials	f. 62v Dante and Virgil

f. 62v Dante and Virgil	f. 63 Illuminated initials	f. 63v Illuminated initials

f. 64 Blank folio	f. 64v Blank folio	f. 65 Dante

f. 65 Dante	f. 65v Illuminated initials	f. 66 Illuminated initials

f. 66v Illuminated initials	f. 67 Illuminated initials	f. 67v Illuminated initials

f. 68 Dante	f. 68 Dante	f. 68v Illuminated initials

f. 69 Illuminated initials	f. 69v Illuminated initials	f. 70 Illuminated initials

f. 70v Illuminated initials	f. 71 Illuminated initials	f. 71v Illuminated initials

f. 72 Illuminated initials	f. 72v Illuminated initials	f. 73 Illuminated initials

f. 73v Illuminated initials	f. 74 Illuminated initials	f. 74v Illuminated initials

f. 75 Illuminated initials	f. 75v Illuminated initials	f. 76 Illuminated initials

f. 76v Dante, Virgil and Sordello	f. 76v Dante, Virgil and Sordello	f. 77 Illuminated initials

f. 77v Illuminated initials	f. 78 Illuminated initials	f. 78v Illuminated initials

f. 79 Illuminated initials	f. 79v Illuminated initials	f. 80 Illuminated initials

f. 80v Illuminated initials	f. 81 Illuminated initials	f. 81v Illuminated initials

f. 82 Illuminated initials	f. 82v Illuminated initials	f. 83 Illuminated initials

f. 83v Illuminated initials	f. 84 Gates of Purgatory	f. 84 Gates of Purgatory

f. 84v Illuminated initials	f. 85 Illuminated initials	f. 85v Illuminated initials

f. 86 Illuminated initials	f. 86v Illuminated initials	f. 87 Illuminated initials

f. 87v Illuminated initials	f. 88 The Envious	f. 88 The Envious

f. 88v Illuminated initials	f. 89 Illuminated initials	f. 89v Illuminated initials

f. 90 Illuminated initials	f. 90v Illuminated initials	f. 91 Illuminated initials

f. 91v Illuminated initials	f. 92 Illuminated initials	f. 92v Illuminated initials

f. 93 Illuminated initials	f. 93v The Wrathful	f. 93v The Wrathful

f. 94 Illuminated initials	f. 94v Illuminated initials	f. 95 Illuminated initials

f. 95v Illuminated initials	f. 96 Illuminated initials	f. 96v Illuminated initials

f. 97 Illuminated initials	f. 97v Illuminated initials	f. 98 Illuminated initials

f. 98v The Slothful and the Siren	f. 98v The Slothful and the Siren	f. 99 Illuminated initials

f. 99v Illuminated initials	f. 100 Purgatory	f. 100 Purgatory

f. 100v Illuminated initials	f. 101 Illuminated initials	f. 101v Illuminated initials

f. 102 Illuminated initials	f. 102v Illuminated initials	f. 103 Illuminated initials

f. 103v Illuminated initials	f. 104 Illuminated initials	f. 104v Illuminated initials

f. 105 Illuminated initials	f. 105v Illuminated initials	f. 106 Illuminated initials

f. 106v Illuminated initials	f. 107 The Gluttons	f. 107 The Gluttons

f. 107v Illuminated initials	f. 108 Illuminated initials	f. 108v Illuminated initials

f. 109 Illuminated initials	f. 109v Illuminated initials	f. 110 Illuminated initials

f. 110v Illuminated initials	f. 111 Illuminated initials	f. 111v Illuminated initials

f. 112 Illuminated initials	f. 112v Illuminated initials	f. 113 Illuminated initials

f. 113v The Lustful	f. 113v The Lustful	f. 114 Illuminated initials

f. 114v Illuminated initials	f. 115 Illuminated initials	f. 115v Illuminated initials

f. 116 Illuminated initials	f. 116v Earthly Paradise	f. 116v Earthly Paradise

f. 117 Illuminated initials	f. 117v Illuminated initials	f. 118 Illuminated initials

f. 118v Illuminated initials	f. 119 The Procession	f. 119 The Procession

f. 119v Illuminated initials	f. 120 Illuminated initials	f. 120v Illuminated initials

f. 121 Illuminated initials	f. 121v Illuminated initials	f. 122 Illuminated initials

f. 122v Illuminated initials	f. 123 Illuminated initials	f. 123v Illuminated initials

f. 124 Illuminated initials	f. 124v Illuminated initials	f. 125 Illuminated initials

f. 125v Illuminated initials	f. 126 Illuminated initials	f. 126v Illuminated initials

f. 127 Illuminated initials	f. 127v Illuminated initials	f. 128 Illuminated initials

f. 128v Illuminated initials	f. 129 Christ in a chariot	f. 129 Parnassus

f. 129 Christ in a chariot	f. 129v Illuminated initials	f. 130 Heaven and Earth

f. 130 Heaven and Earth	f. 130v Illuminated initials	f. 131 Heaven of the Moon

f. 131 Heaven of the Moon	f. 131v Illuminated initials	f. 132 Beatrice

f. 132 Beatrice	f. 132v Illuminated initials	f. 133 Dante

f. 133 Dante	f. 133v Illuminated initials	f. 134 Piccarda and Constance

f. 134 Piccarda and Constance	f. 134v Illuminated initials	f. 135 Nebuchadnezzar

f. 135 Nebuchadnezzar	f. 135v Illuminated initials	f. 136 Beatrice

f. 136 Beatrice	f. 136v Illuminated initials	f. 137 Four episodes

f. 137 Four episodes	f. 137v Illuminated initials	f. 138 Dante and Beatrice

f. 138 Dante and Beatrice	f. 138v Illuminated initials	f. 139 Justinian

f. 139 Justinian	f. 139v Illuminated initials	f. 140 Daughters of Count Berengar

f. 140 Daughters of Count Berengar	f. 140v Illuminated initials	f. 141 Mystery of the Redemption

f. 141 Mystery of the Redemption	f. 141v Illuminated initials	f. 142 Heaven of Venus

f. 142 Heaven of Venus	f. 142v Illuminated initials	f. 143 Dante and Beatrice

f. 143 Dante and Beatrice	f. 143v Illuminated initials	f. 144 Cunizza da Romano

f. 144 Cunizza da Romano	f. 144v Illuminated initials	f. 145 Folco

f. 145 Folco	f. 145v Illuminated initials	f. 146 Heaven of the Sun

f. 146 Heaven of the Sun	f. 146v Illuminated initials	f. 147 The Sphere of the Sun

f. 147 The Sphere of the Sun	f. 147v Illuminated initials	f. 148 Dante and Beatrice

f. 148 Dante and Beatrice	f. 148v Illuminated initials	f. 149 Renunciation of Francis

f. 149 Renunciation of Francis	f. 149v Illuminated initials	f. 150 Dante and Beatrice

f. 150 Dante and Beatrice	f. 150v Illuminated initials	f. 151 Dante and Beatrice

f. 151 Dante and Beatrice	f. 151v Illuminated initials	f. 152 Theseus and Ariadne

f. 152 Theseus and Ariadne	f. 152v Illuminated initials	f. 153 Adam, Christ, and Solomon

f. 153 Adam, Christ, and Solomon	f. 153v Illuminated initials	f. 154 Resurrection of the dead

f. 154 Resurrection of the dead	f. 154v Illuminated initials	f. 155 Aeneas and Anchises

f. 155 Aeneas and Anchises	f. 155v Illuminated initials	f. 156 Death of Cacciaguida

f. 156 Death of Cacciaguida	f. 157 Florentine towns	f. 157 Florentine towns

f. 157v Illuminated initials	f. 158 Legend of Hippolytus	f. 158 Legend of Hippolytus

f. 158v Illuminated initials	f. 159 Dante	f. 159 Dante

f. 159v Illuminated initials	f. 160 The Heaven of Mars	f. 160 The Heaven of Mars

f. 160v Illuminated initials	f. 161 The Heaven of Jupiter	f. 161 The Heaven of Jupiter

f. 161v Illuminated initials	f. 162 The eagle of Justice	f. 162 The eagle of Justice

f. 162v Illuminated initials	f. 163 Ten wicked kings	f. 163 Ten wicked kings

f. 163v Illuminated initials	f. 164 Five Just Princes	f. 164 Five Just Princes

f. 164v Illuminated initials	f. 165 Heaven of Saturn	f. 165 Heaven of Saturn

f. 165v Illuminated initials	f. 166 Four kings	f. 166 Four kings

f. 166v Illuminated initials	f. 167 Peter Damian	f. 167 Peter Damian

f. 167v Illuminated initials	f. 168 Benedict	f. 168 Benedict

f. 168v Illuminated initials	f. 169 Seven Spheres	f. 169 Seven Spheres

f. 169v Illuminated initials	f. 170 The Triumph of Christ	f. 170 The Triumph of Christ

f. 170v Illuminated initials	f. 171 Christ with saints and angels	f. 171 Christ with saints and angels

f. 171v Illuminated initials	f. 172 Peter	f. 172 Peter

f. 172v Illuminated initials	f. 173 Dante before Peter	f. 173 Dante before Peter

f. 173v Illuminated initials	f. 174 James and John	f. 174 James and John

f. 174v Illuminated initials	f. 175 John the Evangelist	f. 175 John the Evangelist

f. 175v Illuminated initials	f. 176 Dante and Adam	f. 176 Dante and Adam

f. 176v Illuminated initials	f. 177 Peter and the Holy Trinity	f. 177 Peter

f. 177v Illuminated initials	f. 178 Christ the Redeemer	f. 178 Christ the Redeemer

f. 178v Illuminated initials	f. 179 The Light	f. 179 The Light

f. 179v Illuminated initials	f. 180 The Orders of Angels	f. 180 The Orders of Angels

f. 180v Illuminated initials	f. 181 Fall of the Rebel Angels	f. 181 Fall of the Rebel Angels

f. 181v Illuminated initials	f. 182 Hypocritical priest	f. 182 Hypocritical priest

f. 182v Illuminated initials	f. 183 River of Light	f. 183 River of Light

f. 183v Illuminated initials	f. 184 The Empyrean	f. 184 The Empyrean

f. 184v Illuminated initials	f. 185 The Celestial Rose	f. 185 The Celestial Rose

f. 185v Illuminated initials	f. 186 Virgin and Child and Bernard	f. 186 Virgin and Child and Bernard

f. 186v Illuminated initials	f. 187 Virgin and Child	f. 187 Virgin and Child

f. 187v Illuminated initials	f. 188 Annunciation	f. 188 Annunciation

f. 188v Illuminated initials	f. 189 Virgin and Child and Bernard	f. 189 Illuminated initial

f. 189 Virgin and Child and Bernard	f. 189v Illuminated initials	f. 190 Dante's vision of the Virgin

f. 190 Dante's vision of the Virgin	f. 190v Illuminated initials

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