St Michael vanquishing demons, historiated initial from a Gradual, in Latin [Germany, c.1470-80]

cutting, 140x150mm, vellum, historiated initial 'B' (for the feast of St Michael), with part of four lines of text and music on four-line red staves, rastrum 19mm, with a rubric for the feast of St Wenceslas, referring to f.‘CClxi’, and rubric ‘In festo sancti Mychaelis ar[changeli]’ with the beginning of the chant ‘Bendi[cite domino om]nes a[ngelis]’ (repeated on the verso), small pigment losses, framed by Alfred Stiles & Sons Ltd., Hammersmith

 

The composition seems to be inspired by Martin Schongauer's engraving with St Anthony tortured by Demons of the 1470s. At least the striking contrast between whirling demons attacking the calmly pictured Saint in the centre is similar in both examples. The soft vellum and the very fine pattern of the highly polished gold initial indicate that this cutting must have belonged to a prestigious commission.