Martyr Saint in a Historiated Initial "V" from an Antiphonary

Neri da Rimini · 1310/15

Medium

Manuscript cutting in tempera and gold leaf, with gothica textualis and rounded gothica textualis inscriptions in Latin in black ink, ruled in red, and with other decorations, on parchment

Original size

Initial: 6.5 × 6.5 cm (2 9/16 × 2 9/16 in.); Sheet: 55 × 37.5 cm (21 11/16 × 14 13/16 in.)

Currently held

Art Institute of Chicago

Movement

Medieval

Nestled within the curve of a gilded Gothic "V," this small but luminous figure of a martyr saint radiates the quiet intensity that defines the finest Italian manuscript illumination of the early fourteenth century. Neri da Rimini was among the most accomplished illuminators working in the Adriatic region during this period, and his style reflects the remarkable cultural crossroads of Rimini — absorbing Byzantine formality while embracing the softer, more expressive approach pioneered by Giotto in nearby Padua and Assisi. His figures have weight and presence unusual for their scale, and the pairing of burnished gold leaf with subtle tempera modelling gives the saint's robes a depth that rewards close attention. The Latin inscriptions in gothica textualis, ruled with red, remind us that this was never purely a visual object — it was a functional page in a sung liturgy. The cutting now belongs to the Art Institute of Chicago as part of a broader collection of Neri da Rimini leaves, several of which once formed part of the same antiphonary, allowing scholars to reconstruct something of the original manuscript's scope. Our hand-painted oil reproduction translates this intimate masterwork onto canvas with care taken to honour both the warmth of the original pigments and the jewel-like precision of the gold — bringing a piece of medieval devotional art into lasting focus.