Item Info

Language: Latin
Folio Number: front
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes: As the iconography suggests, this initial most likely begins the first response for Vespers of the feast of St. Laurence (Aug. 10), "Levita Laurentius bonum opus operatus est ..." (The Levite Laurence has wrought good work), although little text survives to confirm this identification. St. Laurence was martyred in 258 during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Valerian. According to his legend he was tied to a gridiron and placed over a fire to slowly burn to death.

Until his identity was determined by documentary evidence, the illuminator Tomasino da Vimercate was previously known as the anonymous Master of the Modena Hours, after his most characteristic work in a book of hours now in the Biblioteca Estense in Modena, Italy. Tomasino was active in Milan, where he worked for ecclesiastical and lay patrons from ca. 1390 to 1415. He illuminated eight other leaves in the Free Library's collection (Lewis E M 27:23 and 72:4-10). This group of leaves and cuttings undoubtedly comes from the same series of choir books.
Notes: Initial L with the Martyrdom of St. Laurence of Rome
Notes: These cuttings have been dated to ca. 1395.
Sirsi Catalog Key: 1600033
Country: Country:Italy
City/Town/Township:Milan

Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin): 1399
Image Dimensions Width: 207 mm
ShelfMark: Lewis E M 27:22-23
Creator Name: Tomasino da Vimercate - Artist