Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene, in a large initial on a leaf from a monumental illuminated Gradual, on vellum [Spain, second quarter of the sixteenth century]

single leaf, 860mm. by 593mm., with a large initial ‘A’ (opening “Aqua sapiencie potavit eos…”, the introit for the Mass of Tuesday in the octave of Easter), 250mm. by 255mm., in blue acanthus leaves wrapped around architectural pillars, enclosing Christ standing in a fenced enclosure with a stream running past his feet as Mary Magdalene kneels before him, all on red grounds with flowerheads within coloured and gold frames, 5 lines of text with music on a 4-line red stave, folio number ‘75’ in upper right-hand corner, small area of repair to lower edge, vellum slightly cockled at edges, else excellent condition, in card mount

This leaf is most probably from a monumental set of dispersed Spanish choirbooks, otherwise known only from leaves from its antiphoner. These have appeared in Maggs, European Bulletin 16, nos.39-40 (the first illustrated on the back cover), 18, no.21 (that later sold in our rooms, 5 July 2011, lot 24) and in our rooms, 19 June 1990, lots 42-45. Lot 45 there has a coat-of-arms identifiable as that of Cardinal Archbishop Estaban Gabriel Merino of Bari (d.1535; previously bishop of León, Spain, 1517-23), suggesting that the volumes were executed for him in Italy, perhaps by a Spanish artist in his retinue.