
The Ascension of St. Dominic in a Historiated Initial "G" from a Gradual
Johannes von Valkenburg · 1325/50
- Medium
- Manuscript cutting with tempera and gold leaf, and gothic miniscule script inscriptions in black ink, ruled in red ink, on vellum
- Original size
- 9.6 × 9 cm (3 13/16 × 3 9/16 in.)
- Currently held
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Movement
- Medieval
This small but luminous fragment of medieval devotion packs an entire theological drama into the curved form of a single letter, its figures suspended in gold-leaf glory against a jewel-toned ground. Johannes von Valkenburg was among the most accomplished manuscript illuminators working in the Rhineland during the early fourteenth century, producing richly detailed liturgical books for Dominican institutions in Cologne. His figures carry a Gothic elegance — elongated, stylised, yet full of spiritual intention — and his use of burnished gold leaf creates a radiance that would have caught candlelight during Mass, making the sacred scene seem literally alive on the page. The combination of tempera pigments and raised gold within the tight confines of a historiated initial demanded extraordinary control at miniature scale. This cutting comes from a Gradual, the choirbook that accompanied the sung portions of the Mass, meaning this image of Dominic's ascension was once surrounded by the very music his order sang in worship — text and image inseparable in their original devotional purpose. The hand-painted oil reproduction translates this intimate masterwork to canvas, preserving the warmth of the original palette, the fine detailing of the figures, and the meditative quality that has made this piece one of the Art Institute of Chicago's quietly celebrated medieval holdings.
Hand-painted oil reproduction
Painted in real oil on stretched canvas by master copyists. Delivered unframed — ready to frame at home.
Choose a size
In Valkenburg's style.
Send us a photograph of your family, pet, or home — we'll paint it as a custom oil on stretched canvas in any style you like. From £220.

← Real customer commission · see the full gallery
Code WELCOME20 at checkout for 20% off your first commission.
Commission yours →More Medieval

Portrait Vessel of a Young Man with a Scarred Lip
Moche · 100 BCE–500 CE

Funerary Papyrus of Tayuhenutmut
Ancient Egyptian · Third Intermediate Period, probably Dynasty 21 (about 1069-945 BCE)

Ring: Ramesses-mry-Amun?
Ancient Egyptian · New Kingdom, Dynasty 20, reign of Ramesses V? (about 1147–1143 BCE)