Devotional & Philosophical Writings
London: c. 1325-1335
Sp Coll MS Hunter 231 (U.3.4)
I produced the facsimile for a commission in July of 2009.
“In the last full page miniature (of Sp Coll MS Hunter 231), Plato (left), Seneca (middle), and Aristotle (right) stand dressed in Doctors’ caps and fur-lined gowns. All hold open books before them, to which Plato and Seneca point their right forefingers, while Aristotle raises his right hand with a didactic gesture. The books are inscribed with quotations from each of their writings, each sentence summing up the chief message of its author as transmitted in the medieval period. Beryl Smalley explains that the three ancient philosophers are here presented according to the medieval iconography of the Blessed Trinity (i.e. the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). Seneca, the favourite moralist of the Middle ages here replaces God in the centre of the picture.
The lavish use of raised gold in the background is clearly seen in this illustration. Here, the gold has been incised in a pattern of stars and lozenges. Such patterns increase the eye catching quality of the burnished gold, truly illuminating the page.
The miniatures and historiated initials are clearly the work of one artist, identified by Sandler as the Master of Taymouth Hours. The Taymouth Hours (British Library Yates Thompson 13) is an illuminated Book of Hours that was probably produced c. 1325-1335.”
taken from the description of the manuscript from the
Special Collections Department, Library, University of Glasgow
