Collections | Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Scenes from the Life of Samuel
Verso: Scenes from the Life of David
Leaf from the Winchester Bible
Illuminated by the Master of the Morgan Leaf
England, Winchester, Cathedral Priory of St. Swithin, ca. 1160–80
583 x 396 mm
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1912; MS M.619 (recto)
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Although full-page miniatures were not originally planned for the Winchester Bible, a few were included. The underdrawings by the Apocrypha Master on this leaf were closely adhered to, and the painting was a collaborative effort between him and the Morgan Master, whose work is especially evident in the faces. The leaf, removed when the Bible was rebound in 1820, ended up with Leo Olschki, the Florentine dealer. He offered it to William Morris for £100 before it became Pierpont Morgan's greatest, and last, single leaf purchase (about $6,000). Eric Millar recognized its connection with the Winchester Bible in 1926.

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