King David, historiated initial on a leaf from a Choir Psalter, in Latin [Italy (Florence), c.1480-90]

single leaf, 530x407, vellum, with an initial 'E' and an inner border for the first Nocturne at Matins on Fridays, 14 lines, 390x270mm, folio number '152' stamped on recto, some rubbing to the gold leaf, small pigment loss, vellum stained towards the edges, slight damage to lower edge professionally repaired

The meticulously drawn figure of King David who raises his hands in praise, and the finely modelled face with furrowed features and hair formed of single hair strokes is close to the work of the brothers GHERARDO AND MONTE DI GIOVANNI DEL FORA, who were not only extraordinary miniaturists but also painters of altarpieces and mosaicists. The rising interest in portraiture and naturalism was a response to the demands of patrons who had been exposed to the high degree of detail in Flemish painting. Most of the leaves with historiated initials from the usual eight divisions of this Choir Psalter can be identified with some confidence: Psalm 1, David kneeling before God, in a landscape (Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, no.2719; see P. Wescher, Beschreibendes Verzeichnis der Miniaturen, 1931, p.99); Psalm 38, David raising his hands (Baer, Lagerkatalog 750, 1930, no.795); Psalm 52, The Fool (our rooms, 8 July 2014, lot 36; f.100); Psalm 68, Man of Sorrows (Marczell de Nemes of Budapest collection, sold by Mensing in Amsterdam, 13 Nov. 1928, lot 106); Psalm 80, the present leaf; Psalm 97, Monks Singing (our rooms, 18 June 2002, lot 15; f.174); only Psalms 26 and 109 are unidentified, but one of them may be the leaf described in the Mettler sale by Muller, Amsterdam, 22 Nov. 1929, lot 87.